Holly Bush can defy top weight

RACING: Seven-year-old enjoying new lease of life under Middleton

HOLLY BUSH HENRY can defy top weight in the Wendling Handicap Chase at Fakenham.

Phil Middleton has got a new lease of life out of the seven-year-old this season and he is looking for his fourth win of the campaign.

Last time out he was fourth to Tintern Theatre, who travelled like the class horse of the race in Saturday’s Peter Marsh at Haydock before conditions found him out.

Holly Bush Henry was actually dropped 3lb by the handicapper for that Kempton run but time may show it was a decent event. It was certainly a different class to which he finds himself in now.

While Middleton has entrusted the ride to conditional jockeys of late, he does so again but it seems like something of a cheat branding James Bowen in that class.

It is hard to see past RIO QUINTO in the three-mile novice hurdle.

Olly Murphy’s five-year-old won by half the track at this course on his hurdling debut in December and looks well above average.

Having finished in the money over three miles in his point-to-point days, the expectancy is for him to thrive over this longer distance.

Even in spite of a penalty, he ought to prove too smart for this lot.

SONNETIST has been in fine fettle of late and should not be a million miles away from the winner’s enclosure in the Betway Marathon Handicap at Wolverhampton.

The four-year-old gelding was a good winner over a mile and three furlongs at Southwell in December and arguably did just as well at Kempton earlier in the month.

Sonnetist had no chance against Flight Of Fantasy, who breezed five lengths clear, but David Evans’ representative had the remainder of the 12-runner field well cooked.

The son of Poet’s Voice will be trying this mile-and-three-quarter trip for the first time but it looks a logical punt from what he has so far achieved on a racecourse.

SELECTIONS: FAKENHAM: 1.25 Dizzey Heights, 1.55 Rio Quinto, 2.25 HOLLY BUSH HENRY (NAP), 2.55 Captiva Island, 3.25 Wood Pigeon, 3.55 Little Windmill.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.20 Laydee Victoria, 4.50 Cross Counter, 5.20 Desert Doctor, 5.50 Sonnetist, 6.20 Flight Of Fantasy, 6.50 Champagne Pink, 7.20 Anif

DOUBLE: Holly Bush Henry and Rio Quinto.