Marie’s Rock set to keep the good times rolling
A step up in trip worked the oracle for MARIE’S ROCK (Kempton, 2.40) at Christmas and she can continue her renaissance with victory in the Coral Lanzarote Hurdle.
the seven Barrows bandwagon under trainer Nicky Henderson is beginning to crank into gear with big guns epatante, Champ, Jonbon and Constitution Hill flexing their muscles in recent weeks and the mare benefitted from a patient Adrian Heskin ride to spread-eagle a decent handicap on Boxing Day at today’s venue.
Admittedly, she is not totally straightforward as she got very warm that day, but it did not stop her delivering a powerful finish to a race run at a good tempo and, if rider Nico de Boinville can switch her off today, her finishing kick could prove a potent weapon.
patience has proved a virtue in this event in recent runnings with eight of the last 10 renewals falling to a horse described as held up.
stepping up in trip looked to give Marie’s Rock more time to find her feet and, after two wind operations during the span of her eight-race career, the slightly slower tempo of a handicap over a trip may also assist her breathing.
Henderson is three-handed in this afternoon’s feature handicap and, given he has won three of the last 10 runnings, we perhaps should not write off Call Me Lord or Monte Cristo and the latter could be a huge price if he can recapture the form of his 25-1 course and distance victory of 2020 in the same handicap Marie’s Rock won en route to this race.
there are others who also catch the eye at tasty prices with Cabot Cliffs arguably over-priced now that he is consenting to settle a little better.
His effort in an Ascot handicap last November behind Captain Morgs has worked out well and, after being held up, he made nice progress to suggest he is worth a try over today’s distance.
With a number of firms offering enhanced place offers, he is the type to make some each-way appeal for a team that boasts a terrific record in handicap hurdles.
BOB OLINGeR, 6-4 favourite for the Grade One two-and-ahalf-mile novices’ chase at the Cheltenham Festival, will tomorrow try to make it two wins from two runs over fences at punchestown for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. Opponents in the Kildare Novice Chase include Gaillard Du Mesnil, second to Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Chase at last year’s Festival.