Robin could ruffle Newbury feathers
This year’s Betfred Challow hurdle appears one of the best renewals for years and ROBIN ROE (Newbury, 1.50) is a good bet to stamp his class on this afternoon’s prestigious event.
Trainer Dan skelton immediately earmarked today’s Grade One as a mid-season target after witnessing his gelding dismantle a useful Aintree field in the autumn and the five-year-old boasts a great chance of vindicating the faith. The winner of an irish point-to-point on easy ground, Robin Roe seemed to relish the better surface at Aintree. he toyed with the useful No Comment who has since gone on to advertise the form with two smooth victories.
Third-home Tintern Theatre has also prevailed since and skelton’s expediency in nominating the Challow hurdle as Robin Roe’s next target suggests connections were aware of their gelding’s potential.
Not that achieving success will be a simple task in a field packed full of quality, with Gordon Elliott and Alan King providing stiff opposition courtesy of Baltazar D’Allier and Messire Des Obeaux.
Elliott, trainer of the classy Death Duty who was also entered at the five-day stage, will have a good line on the staying novice hurdlers so the presence of the impressive Naas maiden winner is a slight concern.
in contrast, King doesn’t boast a great record in this race and his representative — here via sandown’s Winter Novices’ hurdle — finished last of three a year ago. Elegant Escape has done nothing wrong this season and represents a yard that continue to carry all before them, while Peak To Peak and Ami Debois are hugely likeable types.
however, Robin Roe created such a terrific impression at Aintree that he is taken to extend his winning sequence to four today.
i have been waiting for BOITE (Newbury, 3.00) to step up in trip following his impressive Wetherby success. A gritty staying handicapper on the level, there should be more to come from Warren Greatrex’s charge over hurdles. The yard won this event 12 months ago and sent out a welcome winner at Taunton yesterday. Today’s nap vote goes the way of
TEMPLE ROAD (Lingfield, nap, 3.45).