Racing Caviar on the menu for Frodon and Frost team
BARON ALCO and Frodon served up a terrific contest when first and second in the feature at Cheltenham last month and should dominate the Caspian Caviar Handicap Chase on their return to the Cotswolds today.
The BetVictor Gold Cup was an eventful race with a number of fallers and it was the smooth jumping of both principals which left them clear of the field. A positive ride from the front by Jamie Moore on Baron Alco saw him pinch a four-length lead into the home straight and gallantly though FRODON (1.55, nap) and Bryony Frost tried, they could only halve the deficit by the line.
A 3lb pull in the weights for that two-length defeat might be enough for the 2016 winner to gain revenge. The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, a warm-up for the race of the same name at the Festival in March, is sure to throw up some big-race clues.
Aye Aye Charlie (2.30) raced through his novice programme last season winless yet finished the season with a fourth place behind the talented Black Op in Grade One company at Aintree.
He got the small matter of winning his first race out of the way at Kelso when long odds-on last month and this secondseason novice from the local yard of Fergal O’Brien can put that experience to good use.