Know The Score can get right result
● Pipe’s six-year-old eyes Wetherby win
Know The Score can make a seamless switch up to three miles int her ac ingtv.com Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby.
The six-year- old has so far failed to reach the kind of heights his point-to-point win and subsequent £380,000 sale in 2017 suggested, but David Pipe has seemingly found the key to him now in tack ling longer trips.
Only third as a short-priced favourite on his hurdling bow at C hep st ow in November, Know The Score fared much better on his second start when winning over two-anda-half miles at Hex ham in December.
He then tried two miles and seven furlongs, and while he was beaten 13-and-a-half lengths in third, Know The Score did not lose too much in defeat and looked as though he would appreciate soft er ground than he encountered that day. With the weather having taken a wet turn recently, conditions might be more to his liking for a suitable test in West Yorkshire.
Phil Kirby’ sT opVilleB en was a relatively early casualty in the RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last week and is back out quickly for the Watch Racing TV In S tu nningHD Novices’ Chase. He may have been a little out of his depth in the Cotswolds but looked well above average when streaking to a 46-length win at this track over Christmas and he sets the standard.
Theatre Legend is the pick in the Like Racing TV On Face - book Handicap Hurdle as he drops back to two miles. He was a short price first time up at Sedgefield when lack of match practice appeared to tell at the business end, but his third showed enough promise, while his second outing worked out quite well, to o, with the second having previously won in Grade Two company.
It is interesting that Chris Grant has opted to ease back in distance, but given Theatre Legend’s keen-going attitude, it perhaps makes sense.
Capone takes a bit of a drop in class in Huntingdon’s Mansionbet Handicap Hurdle.
Charlie Mann’ s charge bumped into prolific winner and Grade One scorer Quel Destin at Haydo ck last time out and found him six lengths too good.
That marked an improve - ment on their previous meeting when Quel Destin had finished 12 lengths ahead, and Capone certainly did not help his chances at Haydock with his very keen attitude in the preliminaries and during the early part of the race. Capone is clearly on the right path and an opening mark of 127 looks workable.