Red Giant’s Rasen expectations of victory

RED Giant can come out on top in Market Rasen’s gruelling stamina test, the Lincolnshire National Handicap Chase.

Jennie Candlish’s nine-year-old is an out-and-out stayer, as he showed when winning over three miles and five furlongs at Sedgefield in October.

He had to settle for the runner-up spot behind Lough Derg Jewel when sent off favourite at Catterick six weeks ago, but Red Giant can get back on the winning path over this near three-and-a-half miles.

His mark of 125 certainly gives Candlish something to work with, which is a positive given the ground is likely to be far from ideal.

Get Your Own stepped up considerably on his debut over the smaller obstacles to get off the mark at Southwell last month.

A couple of point-to-points had been his only experience before he went to Lingfield for his first taste of hurdling in public.

He was well beaten, but that experience must have taught the Alex Hales-trained five-year-old a lot because he was a totally different proposition at Southwell – where he survived a mistake at the final flight to beat Caddyhill by a length and three-quarters.

The drop in trip from two miles and three furlongs to two may have helped, and he sticks to that the shorter trip here.

Perfect Myth can take the Listed honours in the Byerley Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton.

The six-year-old has been on a steep upward trajectory this term, improving from a perch of 107 in August to her current mark of 140 with succession of excellent efforts.

Perfect Myth has hit the mark three times, twice in September and then again in November, when she lifted a competitive mares’ novice hurdle at Huntingdon in fine style.

She bumped into The White Mouse at Wincanton when making a quick reappearance, but that two-length defeat reads well now because the winner has subsequently gone on to record a high-profile Cheltenham success.