Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
AT THE RACES
Bowtogreatness backed
BOWTOGREATNESS is backed to continue Ben Pauling’s fantastic run of form with victory in the Coral Trophy at Kempton.
The Naunton Downs handler has been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, highlighted by a treble at Ascot last Saturday.
A Tuesday winner at Market Rasen and a Doncaster double on Wednesday kept the bandwagon rolling and Pauling will head to Kempton this weekend with high hopes of adding to his tally.
Bowtogreatness won twice from four starts over hurdles, but has yet to find the target since having his attentions switched to the larger obstacles.
That being said, a runner-up finish in a competitive handicap at last year’s Grand National meeting at Aintree is evidence of what he is capable of and he is only 1lb higher in the weights ahead of his latest assignment.
His post-Christmas comeback at Newbury was disappointing, but there was more promise in his most recent performance when fifth behind leading Cheltenham Festival contender Ginny’s Destiny at Prestbury Park late last month.
Pauling might also hit the bullseye with Fiercely Proud, who holds obvious claims in the Coral Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.
The trainer is particularly strong in this division at present, with the likes of Tellherthename, The Jukebox Man and Handstands having all shown their worth at a high level.
Fiercely Proud himself won his first two starts over hurdles before finishing a very creditable third behind the highlytouted Jeriko Du Reponet in a rescheduled
Rossington Main at Doncaster last month.
He has a little bit of ground to make up on the reopposing runner-up Lump Sum, but at the prices he looks the value call.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Kalif Du Berlais will take some stopping in the Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle.
This French recruit was hugely impressive on his British debut over the course and distance early in the new year and the form is not too shabby, with runner-up Roaring Legend now rated 123 following another couple of placed efforts and the third-placed Yellow Star winning next time.