THE STYLIST
Cert 18 ★★★ Streaming on Arrow from tomorrow
“We all want what we don’t have,” says psycho hairdresser Claire (Najarra Townsend), admiring herself in the mirror.
Claire has nicked that line from a client she was chatting with the previous night. That’s not all, she’s also wearing her hair, freshly scalped from the woman bleeding out on her salon floor.
Claire, you see, loves to find out what’s going on inside the heads she is carefully pruning. If the chat goes well, the next day, she’ll be wearing your barnet and repeating your best lines.
Claire takes a break from building her grisly wig collection when she is offered a last-minute gig as wedding stylist for Olivia (Brea Grant) whose desperation she mistakes for friendship.
Director Jill Gevargizian loses the tension in a slightly repetitive second act. But I think The Stylist will stay with me. I shall definitely think of Claire when Boris deems it safe for me to get a proper haircut.
I intend to support my local barber but I might not be quite so forthcoming with my holiday plans.
TRITONIC became a banker for the Brits at next month’s Cheltenham Festival after his breathtaking victory in yesterday’s Close Brothers Adonis Hurdle at Kempton.
Now unbeaten in his two hurdle races, Tritonic is a worthy candidate to scupper Ireland’s hopes of winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle with 2-1 favourite Zanahiyr. Bookmakers also share that view as they slashed his Triumph odds from 10-1 to 4-1. Winning trainer Alan King, successful in the Adonis and Triumph with Penzance in 2005, saidd: “Everything impressed me today – the way he came back on the bridle as he was short of room once or twice and the way he went away from the last. “He’s the highest-class Flat horse I’ve sent jumping. I certainly wouldn’t swap him for anything.” The Irish warmed up for the Festival in style when Cape Gentleman, trained by Emmet Mullins, took the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Jonjo O’Neill.
At Newcastle, local lad Brian Ellison was celebrating after saddling Sam’s Adventure to land the Vertem Eider Chase. It was a remarkable ride by jockey Henry Brooke as he had only recently returned to action after breaking his neck in November.
Paul Nicholls kept up his domination in the Pendil Novices’ Chase when Tamaroc Du Mathan, partnered by Harry Cobden, gave him a staggering 11th win in the contest.
PAUL NICHOLLS can land his third National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell this afternoon with his progressive seven-year-old
McFABULOUS (3.10, nap).
Winner of four of his seven starts over timber, the youngster just failed to see out the three miles behind Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
However, there was no disgrace being beaten a shade over six lengths that afternoon, especially as he looked set to score at the penultimate flight.
This drop in trip looks perfect for him and I suspect this outing will tee him up nicely for a shot at the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting.
Following a wind operation, Call Me Lord could be the biggest danger.
Former point-to-point winner
WON’T TALK (3.40) has been crying out for a step up in trip and finally gets the chance to show his true worth.
That was only his second run under rules and the Charlie Mann charge should prove too good for the in-form top weight Brewers Project.
Underrated ANEMOI (2.40) could be the call in the four-runner Josh Gifford Cup.
He has been given a break since disappointing run on good ground at Newbury and this deeper surface looks more suitable.
The other really interesting bet on the card is the David Pipe-trained
GRANGECLARE GLORY (4.10).
The key to his chance is the extra stamina test over this extended 2m5f and the six-year-old gets the call over Blame The Game.
At Hereford, SASTRUGA (2.20) can be forgiven his last pulled-up effort on account of the deep ground at Newbury in a much better race.
If the turf continues to dry out then Richard Hawker’s charge looks nicely weighted off a 113 rating.
Over in Ireland at Naas, DALY TIGER (2.00) has turned over a new leaf since being ridden more prominently and can make it three from four this season over fences by landing the Grade Three WhatsoddsPaddy? Chase.
Noel Meade’s charge ran his rivals ragged last time out in the in a Grade A handicap chase off a mark of 147 at Fairyhouse and may be able to run the finish out of the classy Cilaos Emery over this stiff two miles.
A maximum field of 20 are set to go to post for the two-mile handicap hurdle but there is more quantity than quality on show here and that affords a chance for CALL A CAB
(5.00) to reclaim winning form.
He ran an eye-catching eighth of 20 last time out over two-anda-half miles at Navan, never nearer than at the finish.
As a result, he gets to race off the same mark with senior jockey Mark Walsh taking over and granted an end-to-end gallop back at two miles he looks set to go close to recording his second career victory.
ABSOLUTELY IDEAL: McFabulous can come to the fore at Fontwell this afternoon
INDIA have Joe Root’s side in a tail-spin following their humiliation in Ahmedabad.
But John Emburey believes England only have themselves to blame as beating the hosts in 2012-13 changed the course of Indian cricket history for good.
Since Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar outperformed the home side’s spinners, no other team has won in India.
After dominating the opening Test in Chennai, it looked as though England could repeat that feat but Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel have crushed those dreams in the two Tests that have followed.
And former England spinner Emburey said: “From the day that Swann and Panesar toured there and we won, pitches in India have turned.
“England cleaned up because of those two – they completely outbowled the Indian spinners because they were better bowlers at the time.
“Now Ashwin is a much more complete bowler.
“You get him on a turning pitch and he becomes very, very dangerous.”
With the final Test also taking place at the Motera Stadium, England can expect a similar surface to the one which undid them last week.
“Our bowlers spin the ball that little bit too slow,” added Emburey (right). “On a pitch like that all you’ve got to do is bowl maidens.”