Stone looks solid in Chase for victory
THE Shloer Chase promises to be a cracker on the final afternoon of the November meeting at Cheltenham, with preference for Edwardstone over Nube Negra.
Alan King’s eight-year-old barely put a foot wrong last year, culminating in victory in the Arkle Trophy.
The likes of Nube Negra are going to present a different dimension in terms of opposition now, but ground conditions are about spot on to start off with and he can throw his hat into the ring for even bigger challenges ahead against the likes of Shishkin and Energumene.
A host of smart prospects take their chance in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle, with Springwell Bay a must for the shortlist.
His jumping bow came at Carlisle last month and he could not have been much more impressive in the way he did it. His hurdling was sound in the main, and something about the way he moved throughout before powering clear marked him out as above average.
Fantastikas gets the nod in the Jewson Click And Collect Handicap Chase for local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.
The seven-year-old was disappointingly pulled up in the Scottish Grand National when last seen, but prior to that had marked himself down as a high-class chaser in the making, with two wins at Lingfield sandwiching placed efforts in Graded company behind Threeunderthrufive and L’Homme Presse.
With further progress likely this season, a mark of 142 for his first outing this term looks workable.
The Willie Mullins-trained Dads Lad has to be of major interest in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle.
The seven-year-old may not be one of the champion trainer’s leading lights, but he has already enjoyed a profitable campaign with summer wins at Limerick, Galway and Killarney followed by a chase win at Cheltenham last month that sent his syndicate owners into raptures.
The British handicapper has not taken any chances on his return to the smaller obstacles as he competes from a perch of 128 here, some 11lb higher than his hurdles rating in Ireland.
However, he is still well-in compared to his chase mark and with good ground to suit, he is expected to be there or thereabouts at the business end of proceedings.