PLAY WITH FIRE! Murphy star is smokin’
CHASING FIRE gets the vote to defend his unbeaten record with a victory in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle (1.30) at Haydock.
Having won his sole start in point-to-points, the son of Maxios went under the hammer for £170,000 before a bumper success at Wetherby last March on his debut for Olly Murphy (below).
Chasing Fire started off over timber with a 16-length margin at Market Rasen in November. And he had a similar cushion to spare over They Call
Me Pete in a novice event at the same track on Boxing Day.
There is still a steep upside to the six-year-old, who can smoothly cope with the step up in grade to win again.
It’s hard to look past EPATANTE in the Grade 2 The New One Unibet Hurdle (2.05).
The Champion Hurdle heroine of 2020 comes here on the back of hefty defeats by Constitution Hill on her two outings this winter.
But there is no-one of her Nicky Henderson stablemate’s calibre in this line-up.
Nigel Twiston-davies and son Sam are the combination to follow in the Racing TV Club Day Handicap Hurdle (3.10) with
The five-year-old relished the step up to this three-mile trip to score at Aintree at the beginning of December and the handicap debutant still has the scope to progress past an official rating of 119.
The ITV cameras are also in action at Lingfield, where PURPLE RIBBON is the pick in the TALKSPORT Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap (2.47).
The Charlie Fellowes trainee, now five, has raced just five times.
But Purple Ribbon put up a personal best with a second in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton in November, and there is more to come.
The last comment certainly applies to DREAM HARDER, who is taken to complete a four-timer in the Huge Daily Boosts Only At BETUK Handicap (1.37).
Hat-trick seeker LORD RAPSCALLION is the one to be on in the Spreadex Sports Get £40 In Bonuses Handicap (2.12), while the consistent SILKY WILKIE rates a worthy market leader for the BETUK Over 40,000 Live Streamed Races Handicap (3.22).