SILVER STAR
Thomas ace Stolen ready to snatch Wincanton prize
BY
STOLEN SILVER can strike gold in the Art Of Outdoor With Ocean Handicap Chase (3.15, nap) at Wincanton.
Having made a winning return at Market Rasen in October, the Sam Thomas-saddled grey went under by a neck to Editeur Du Gite at Cheltenham the following month, having stumbled at the final fence.
Stolen Silver proved short of Grade 1 level when a 23-length fourth to Edwardstone in Sandown’s Henry VIII Novices’ Chase five weeks ago.
But Jack Tudor’s mount will be more at home back in handicaps and, with the return to two and a half miles unlikely to be a problem, the top weight is taken to give the weight away.
After landing a gamble at Catterick Bridge 11 days before Christmas, PITTSBURG has strong claims of a follow-up in the Leonna Mayor New House
Celebration Handicap Hurdle (1.30).
A weight of money forced the six-year-old down to 11-4 jointfavourite for an amateur riders’ handicap hurdle at the North Yorkshire track, and the Ryan
Potter trainee netted the money by a neck.
That’s no reflection of the winner’s superiority on the back of a wind operation, however, and a 6lb higher mark shouldn’t stop another good account.
There was much to like about the chasing debut of BELLE DE MANECH over two and a half miles at Wincanton on Boxing Day, and Anthony Honeyball’s mare should cope with stepping back to the minimum in the advancedBiotech.co.uk UK Award Winning Handicap Chase (2.05).
The rapidcharge.com Leading EV Charging Solution Handicap Hurdle (2.40) looks trappy, but course-and-distance scorer GOLDEN EMBLEM should not be underestimated.
He’s one for the needy and greedy, but CONSTITUTION HILL (left) is hard to take on in Sandown’s Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle (2.25).
There was an unmistakable star quality in the way Nico de Boinville’s partner beat Might I by 14 lengths over course and distance last month, and there will be long faces at Lambourn’s Seven Barrows stable – where Nicky Henderson is in isolation with Covid-19 – if Constitution Hill fails to justify short odds.
There is more to come from NUMITOR, who gets the vote in the Unibet Horserace Betting Operator Of The Year Handicap Chase (1.50).
Competition for the lead didn’t help Schiaparelli’s son when second at Newbury on the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase undercard in November, but Numitor should get a quiet time of things up front here.
Evan Williams’ MACK THE MAN made a successful return to the fray at Exeter in November, and a 3lb rise in the weights may not prove insurmountable in the Unibet Casino Deposit £10 Get £40 Handicap Hurdle (3.35).