LAD IS NOW A MAN!
JUST three sleeps to go until Cheltenham, and we’re all in a bit of a spin at RaceiQ headquarters trying to keep up with all of the drama over leading up to it.
At least we have plenty of action to assess in the meantime to try to keep us from boiling over with excitement!
At Sandown, Imperial Cup Day looks as competitive as ever and there are some interesting contenders to kick us off in the EBF Novices’ Final.
Sometimes a horse can take more time than you might expect to mature and one horse that I believe it has been the case with is AWAY THE LAD (1.50).
He had been rumbling along under the radar, hitting the crossbar against reasonable rivals, but the found his mojo when winning his last two starts convincingly.
Leicester has a pretty stiff uphill finish – not dissimilar in topography to Sandown – and he looked to thrive up it last time.
If he hadn’t already proved he likes a stiff two and a half miles when winning over 2m5f at Ludlow the time before, he confirmed it by registering a 107.22% Finshing Speed Percentage figure at Leicester.
On top of all of that, he is a particularly solid jumper too, gaining a +11.49 length advantage on the field through his jumping.
It also looks like he won the race with fantastic leaps over the last two hurdles, to gain a whole length on the runner-up.
In the feature hurdle, the Betfair Imperial Cup, I am teaming up with a horse that just didn’t seem to enjoy life as a steeplechaser.
The only time JIPCOT (2.25) ran in France, he unseated his rider, and his switch to fences under Ben Pauling’s (below) care hasn’t gone to plan either.
It all fell into place last time back over hurdles though. He won very comfortably and his hurdling gave him a two-length advantage over the runner-up.
The way he won the race suggests the 7lb penalty he carries today won’t stop him. One horse trying to seek calmer waters in the shadows of Cheltenham is GOLDEN SON (3.35) in the novice handicap chase.
He’s been a little hit and miss but excuses can be made for when he was pulled up at Aintree and Newbury.
He got into a lovely jumping rhythm around Kempton last time, gaining a +2.69 length advantage on the field, and quickened up impressively too to register a 111.55% FSP.
That win is looking even better now with Heltenham, who finished half a length behind him that day, winning very cosily at Newbury last weekend.