SeaWall can give Gordon a win tonic at Lingfield
CHRIS Gordon’s horses have been running well of late without the successes they have deserved, but his Sea Wall can break those frustrations in the Weatherbys “Birdie” Calendar 2018 Handicap Hurdle at Lingfield.
Having ended last season with three wins he could have been expected to find things tough this campaign, but he reappeared with a fine run at Newbury when second to Poppy Kay.
The winner has franked that form by finishing a fine third in the Gerry Feilden at the weekend, while the third, Donald McCain’s Chti Balko, has run well stepped up in class at Haydock.
A repeat of that effort off the same mark will surely be good enough.
Philip Hobbs’ Persian Snow must take all the beating in the Call Star Spreads On 0808 2349709 Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
He ended the last campaign with two wins in hunter chases but they were strong races for the grade and he looks to have a bit more life left in him than some having never been overraced.
A 2lb rise for Cracking Find might not be enough to stop him following up in the N&L Franklin Developments Chase at Southwell.
He won two from seven over hurdles but always looked one to thrive for bigger obstacles and he made all at Catterick last time out.
The second that day, An Laoch, is a decent yardstick but he held him off gamely.
Ed Walker is ending 2017 in fine form which makes his Catoca of interest at Wolverhampton.
The Lemon Drop Kid filly runs in the second division of the 32Red Casino Novices’ Stakes after making a very pleasing debut at Kempton, where she finished fourth of 12 at 25-1.
Having cost 120,000 you would want her to be showing something, but after displaying signs of greenness in the early stages the penny began to drop in the closing stages,.
It was a run which suggested she will be much sharper next time out and Walker has been banging in the winners of late
In the first division there is a very interesting newcomer in the shape of Sir Michael Stoute’s Sun Maiden.
While many may think this is a strange place and strange time of year to start her off if she was any good, do not forget that Enable began life in a Newcastle maiden in November.
Meanwhile, Willy Twiston-Davies has made the difficult decision to call time on his riding career despite recovering from injury.
The 23-year-old jockey has been out of action since breaking two vertebrae and two ribs in a fall from Foxtail Hill, trained by his father Nigel, on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The doctor has cleared TwistonDavies for a return to the saddle, but the popular rider has decided to focus on an immediate career in the bloodstock world before eventually following in the training footsteps of his Grand National and Gold Cup-winning father Nigel.