A RIGHT ROYALE UPSET
IT COULD be in the stars – or should that be in the weather forecast – that DESTINEE ROYALE (4.00) causes a minor shock in the feature Listed Virgin Bet Mares’ Chase at Exeter today.
At the weights, she has little or no chance against five of her rivals but with plenty of the wet stuff set to hit the Devon track, the nine-year-old could gallop her rivals into the ground.
Still going well when unseating Charlie Deutsch at the fifth last in a class two handicap at Cheltenham, she was then made favourite to land a lesser race at Wincanton but pulled up some way out.
Apparently
Venetia Williams could offer no explanation – well I can!
It only came 19 days after her last run and more importantly, it was on ground way too quick on a speed track which is simply not her set-up. I fancy her to bounce back at a price here if the ground turns up testing and see off Chilli Filli and the Grand National-bound Snow Leopardess.
On a cracking card, the best bet could well be COCONUT SPLASH (2.00) in the opening novice chase. The Welsh raider has come up against some smart young chasers in his brief career including Chantry House and last time out Kiltealy Briggs. This challenge looks well within his grasp on ground he seems to relish.
STAGE SPLASH (3.00) should readily land the Listed novice hurdle event but why Tom Symonds is running his well-treated Moriko de Vassy here I cannot understand as it could blow a potentially good mark for the festivals.
TRIPLE TRADE (2.30) relished the deep ground at Lingfield last time out and may be able to defy a penalty, although Trelawne is an interesting newcomer for Kim Bailey.
Former Welsh National hero ELEGANT ESCAPE takes on his fellow pensioners in the veterans event at 4.30 and down to his lowest ever handicap mark, he can outstay
Aso and Jerrysback.
Punchestown hosts the most valuable race of the day – the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over threeand-a-half miles – and The Big Dog bids to follow up last year’s success off an 8lbs higher mark.
However, there are several much-better handicapped rivals in the line-up the best of which could be top weight COKO BEACH (2.40). With 5lbs claimer Shane Fitzgerald on board, the selection is 2lbs lower than when a cracking seventh in the Irish National last year and if ridden more patiently he could conceivably give weight away all round.
On the Tapeta at Southwell, Ayr Harbour is taken to reverse Lingfield form with Intuitive in the feature after racing much too freely early on but may still not have enough in the locker to beat likely favourite MY OBERON (4.20). However, the best bet of the day is the Zelzal colt MEKBAT (4.50) in the concluding threeyear-old handicap. He was a real eye-catcher over a shorter distance last time out and can land this moderate event before being raised in class.