McCain charge is ready to Coast to another win
GAELIK Coast should take advantage of a fine opportunity in the James Henman Memorial Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Ludlow.
Donald McCain’s promising seven-year-old races off an unchanged mark of 137 after returning to winning form with a comfortable success up to around this trip at Musselburgh last month.
He was good value for his near five-length victory, from a Paul Nicholls-trained favourite, and it is a bonus that he can slip into this 0-135 event back in handicap company.
McCain has kept the former winning point-to-pointer and hurdler to similarly sharp tracks, for the most part, and appears to have tried to pick out decent ground too whenever possible through this wet winter.
Gaelik Coast has rewarded him with two victories and a runner-up spot from his four attempts, and has obvious prospects of making it three.
He must concede weight all round but only up to a maximum of 9lb in this five-runner field.
He held several higher-profile entries this week, so it is instructive that McCain sends him to Shropshire – his only runner and champion jockey Brian Hughes’ only mount on the card.
In the feature Forbra Gold Cup Handicap Chase, Wandrin Star catches the eye.
Kim Bailey’s useful chaser was in deep at Wetherby last time, eventually trailing home a well-beaten sixth in a very competitive Grade Three handicap on Boxing Day.
That was no disgrace, and these are calmer waters. Wandrin Star previously appeared to show the benefit of a summer wind operation when beaten only a head on his return in an Ascot handicap.
He was a tenacious winner at Wincanton in autumn 2019, and his trainer picks battles sparingly for the lightly-raced 11-year-old. He can therefore be expected to be ready for this one, at a track which should suit him.
Robert Waley-Cohen’s Gold Cupwinning colours will be on show thanks to Maitree Express in the closing Join Racing TV Open Hunters’ Chase.
Waley-Cohen’s son Sam is, of course, unable to ride during the current suspension of amateurs, so David England will be doing the honours on the seven-year-old’s chasing debut. Maitree Express, home-bred out of a Grade Two-winning hurdler, appeared much improved when he returned for his second season of point-to-pointing in the autumn.
Doubtless, he would have been in further action between the flags since were it not for the curtailment of the fixture list due to coronavirus.
Nonetheless, the manner of his Larkhill victory in December suggests he could well have the speed to cope fine here too.
Silent Man is back from a similar break and may go well as he seeks a hat-trick in the Royal Bath & West Of England Society Handicap Chase at Taunton. The 11-year-old has gone up 20lb for his two November victories by wide margins in heavy ground at Ffos Las and Lingfield.