No Tantrum if Taper can ring the Bell
THERE are no apologies needed for siding with Michael Bell’s unbeatenTaper Tantrum in Kempton’s novice hurdle this afternoon.
Wi t h two successive victories, he looks the obvious one. But his case is backed up by solid form from both races at Stratford and Newton Abbot.
Last time up at Stratford, he slaughtered a reasonable field, with 15 lengths back to The Outlaw and the remainder stretched out all over Warwickshire.
Previously, he beat subsequent winner Excellent Team by a length. Most of the others that followed them home have all stacked up since.
In the opening juvenile hurdle, Alan King runs Lord Huntingdon. He did us a favour at Huntingdon two weeks ago with a thrilling, if hair-raising, debut.
Far too keen for his own good early on, he ballooned some of his hurdles, flattened others, but slowly got wise and strolled in a seven-length winner.
The son of Lord Of England will have learned so much from that first experience. It is very possible he will develop into a top- class hurdler.
The listed hurdle can be left to My Tent Or Yours, who is some way clear of his rivals on official ratings and, for whom, this competitive event is a drop in grade.
Now nine, but very lightly raced with just 17 runs in five years, a repeat of his second to Jezki in the Champion Hurdle two years ago would suffice.