Sigurd’s looking to continue fine form
SIGURD can register his fourth victory of a fine campaign in the racingtv.com Handicap Chase at Wetherby.
It is coming up to three years since the Sholokhov gelding made his debut for Joanne Foster following previous stints with Kevin Ryan and Jonjo O’Neill, but he appears to be in the form of his life at the age of nine.
Sigurd won by 11 and 39 lengths in the space of a week at Catterick over Christmas and the New Year.
It looked like the handicapper might have caught up with him after being pulled up on his next couple of appearances at Carlisle and Sedgefield in February, but he bounced back to winning ways in no uncertain terms over this course and distance on his latest outing.
What was most encouraging about that most recent performance was the fact that for the first time this season, Sigurd was able to take a lead, rather than having to dominate from the front, while he also proved a sounder surface suits him just fine.
A further 9lb hike makes life tougher, of course - but with titlechasing Brian Hughes in the saddle, he should take plenty of beating.
Eden Collonges can follow up a recent Kelso verdict with victory in the 100% RacingTV Profits Back To Racing Handicap Hurdle.
A multiple winner in the point-topoint field, the Lucarno gelding had been largely disappointing under rules before his triumph in the Borders a week-and-a-half ago.
With talented conditional Joe Williamson again on board, Eden Collonges could well be capable of defying a penalty.
Uttoxeter punters are advised to put their faith in Riggs in the opening Subscribe To attheraces On Youtube Novices’ Hurdle.
The son of Mahler fairly bolted up at this venue in November, since when he has run three creditable races in defeat.
His latest effort, when runner-up in the EBF Final at Sandown just under three weeks ago, reads particularly well in the context of a minor race such as this.
The six-year-old should aid Harry Skelton’s title challenge by re-discovering the winning thread.
Volcano gets the vote in the Canter Carpet West Wales National Handicap Chase at Ffos Las.
The grey has been a fine advertisement of the training skills of Sheila Lewis this season, with nine outings yielding four wins.
Despite rising the best part of two stones in the weights since October, he proved he still had something up his sleeve when scoring comfortably at Warwick in mid-March - and a further 7lb hike does not look insurmountable.
Flat fare is on offer at Chelmsford, where comfortably the most interesting race is the Woodford Reserve
Cardinal Conditions Stakes. The onemile contest is officially part of the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby”, meaning the winner will pick up points that could potentially earn a shot at the Churchill Downs showpiece on May 1.
It would be optimistic at the very least to suggest any of the runners can stamp themselves as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender - but there are some interesting prospects on show, none more so than the Sir
Michael Stoute-trained Duty Of Care.
The son of Kingman is a typically well-bred product of the late Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms operation, with Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye a half-brother.
Duty Of Care finished a promising third on his Kempton debut in early December, before opening his account with a determined effort at Newcastle a couple of weeks later.
There should be plenty more to come from him as a three-year-old.