Queen set to reign at Uttoxeter
WINNING under a penalty is a difficult ask for a novice but Ivor’s Queen may be up to the challenge in the mare’s-only event which opens Uttoxeter’s card.
When the seven-year-old was last seen six weeks ago, she slammed Alan King’s Avispa by six lengths at Newton Abbot in the style of a progressive horse.
Avispa had won the race before that clash and went to score again next time out – a 19-length winner at Stratford, heavily eased in the closing stages.
Avispa is now rated 125 and makes her handicap debut tomorrow at Newton Abbot. If the nap performs well today, she may be worth following.
The following juvenile hurdle looks like a match between Hygrove Percy and Jazzy, with both youngsters winners last time out and showing great promise.
Both have run against King’s Invocation in their victories and, on a line through that animal, Martin Keighley’s Jazzy comes out around 5lb superior.
A two-time winner on the flat up to a mile-and-a-half, Jazzy has more track experience than his rival. That as much as weight may make the difference.
Alan Swinbank’s Eutropius has been needing some help from the handicapper. Now that he has relented a little, the seven-year-old may be ready to strike.
His second to Monsieur Glory at Beverley on Monday was much more like it and having won off 87 last June, today’s mark of 73 is difficult to ignore.