Present looks gift-wrapped
GOLD PRESENT (4.05) can defy top weight and land the Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase at Ayr for the bang in-form Nicky Henderson.
The drying ground will be very much in his favour and he showed when taking handicaps at Newbury and Ascot earlier in the season, he is very progressive.
Forget his poor run at the Cheltenham Festival, as the atrocious conditions were all against him.
In the Dubai Duty Free Stakes run over seven furlongs at Newbury,
HIKMAA (2.35) is worth an each-way punt, as she snared a Listed affair over course and distance in October.
Word from HQ is that Ed Vaughan has his filly whizzed up for this and the booking of Frankie Dettori seals the deal.
EXPERT EYE (3.10) blotted his copybook with a shocking effort when odds-on to land the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October, but before that he had bolted up by over four lengths in a Group Two contest at Glorious Goodwood.
Sir Michael Stoute’s runner worked very well at Chelmsford City last Saturday and will be cherry-ripe for the Group Three Al Basti Greenham Stakes run over seven furlongs.
If he is as fit as reports suggest it will be disappointing if he can’t take this before going on to the 2,000 Guineas.
With 25 runners storming up the straight in the Elite Racing Club Spring Mile, track down a bookie paying 1-2-3-4-5 places, and back LEADING
WRITER (3.45). Henry Spiller’s horse had no chance from a poor draw in the Lincoln at Doncaster last month, but captured a handicap off a mark of 92 at Ascot in September. Racing off a revised rating of 96, I’m sure the four-year-old is a well-treated animal.