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Preview -
19 Feb 2008
3.20 The Frank Knight Novices
handicap chase 2M 1/2F Good to soft
1. Sasso – Even though the
absence of Tony Mccoy to these connections is quite a blow, the
deputizing Noel Fehily hasn’t done his future any harm with some
brilliant rides and a win of top weight on Sasso will only help to
rubber stamp his emergence as a jockey. The horse has a lot of
weight to concede to some more unexposed novices in this handicap
chase having had four outings over fences so far. Successful over
further then this two runs back he struggled under a penalty in a
novice event last time and reverts to handicaps now in the hope of
being more successful for connections. The drop in trip isn’t a
major concern having shaped well over the minimum trip in the past,
the ground is drying out from the over night frost and could be
quite tacky under foot which wouldn’t be ideal under this weight.
The unexposed types will have to amount to little in the make up of
this race but he should hold his form and wouldn’t be the most
surprising winner of this handicap but has a fair amount on his
plate today.
Tissue Price - 10/1
2. Nanga Parbat – It would be
wrong to see a feature race down in the west country without a Paul
Nicholls runner and his Nanga Parbat who has form in better races
then this could finally come good having struggled in both outings
over fences so far. Put back over hurdles after unseating his jockey
on his previous try over fences, he improved for the return to
hurdles and then finally completed in his own time over fences last
time out. Talented horse on his day and most probably the class act
in the field unless one of the unexposed lightly raced horse improve
to be decent handicapper in the making. You have to go back nearly
two years for his last fetching performance in a Sandown handicap
over hurdles and given time he could bounce back here today back to
his best given that he still takes up residence at the champion
trainer’s yard. Suited to the ground and trip around this track, the
jockey’s claim makes him well weighted if he can hold his jumping
together.
Tissue Price – 5/1
3. Space Cowboy – One of
those horses that strikes when you least expect it too and that
could happen today as his last performance over fences in a race
such as this was easily forgettable as he shaped like a horse
limited on progressive ability. Has had a few efforts over fences on
his day can jump as well as any in this race and has in a way been
consistent over fences so far. The fear has to be that on a whole he
is quite exposed as a handicapper and could struggle to give weight
away in this handicap let alone have answers for the potentially
smarter horse above him in the handicap. Tacky ground doesn’t seem
to suit him to well on the book and a 0-18 over this trip wouldn’t
fill many with optimism that he is about to turn that around. Recent
form is ok if you disregard the Ascot form last time and he does go
well around this time of the year.
Tissue Price - 9/1
4. Climate Change – the first
of the two real unexposed lightly raced novice chasers steps into
Handicap Company for the first time over fences having finally shown
ability over fences last time in what was a fairly substandard
novice chase. Given a higher mark then the similar profiled horse to
himself in this race and that maybe down to what mark he was
allotted over hurdles in some shape or form. Has a fair bit to prove
on what we have seen so far over fences but the trainer is one of
the best when it comes to handicap chases and wouldn’t be a surprise
to see the horse rapidly improving over fences now he takes on
handicap company for the first time. Tried and tested at this level
over hurdles but to no avail and shouldn’t be written off solely on
hurdles form but one to gain more information on by watching his
races. Has quite a bit in favour and may overcome recent tacky
ground performances.
Tissue price – 13/2
5. So Wise So Young – Only
one sole run over fences in which he did beat Climate change home
but was no match for the classy winner of that handicap at Exeter.
Does save some of his better efforts for Exeter with a fine 2nd
place over hurdles at the track to a fair novice hurdler. However he
has to show improvement in the same manner as climate change did
last time out and get his jumping together and the view could well
be that it may take him a while to be a betting proposition over
fences. Exposed on what he has done as a racehorse over hurdles. The
jumping game may well be the making of this horse but on what we
have seen so far he may be better of as a watching brief at a level
he struggled with over hurdles on countless occasions.
Tissue Price – 33/1
6. Fabulous Jet – Made a nice
impression last time over fences in which he hacked up at the third
time of asking over fences and left those previous two runs well
behind and firmly looks to be going the right way. The performance
he put up that day could have seen him stuck to novice chasings and
not go the handicap path as he may have taken in a top novice event
to see if he could be considered for the Cheltenham festival. The
fact they go handicap novice chasing with him suggests he has been
given a lenient mark by the handicapper in which he is firmly taking
advantage off. Only raised 6lbs for that win he does take on better
class handicappers then last time but in receipt of weight from the
others in this race bar one is a big bonus. Has a lot in favour and
if continuing his progression he should be hard to beat from this
mark today.
Tissue price – 5/4
7. Compton Star – Firmly
exposed handicapper over hurdles has now been given a chance to show
how good he can be over fences, however he will need to jump and
travel a lot better then he did when well beaten in last of 4 last
time out at Chepstow in very testing conditions. Totally different
race today in which he receives weight all-round, but he has plenty
of miles on the clock and you have to wonder why they waited so long
to get him over fences if he is a natural jumper of a fence. Sure
that he will win a small chase race in the summer once the ground
has turned on to the quick side which is his preference under foot.
Today may be a little too tough for him despite the weights
favouring him for the tacky conditions under foot.
Tissue Price – 16/1
Tissue – Fabulous Jet 5/4, Nanga Parbat 5/1, Climate Change 13/2,
Space Cowboy 9/1, Sasso 10/1, Compton star 16/1, So Wise So Young
33/1.
Verdict – A small
handicap for a Tuesday, but one with a interesting handicapper in
Fabulous Jet, who looks to have a solid chance of following up his
impressive win last time, where he jumped his rivals into the
ground. The Paul Nicholls trained Nanga Parbat and Climate Change
are the chief dangers to the Evan Willimas trained novice and a
market move for the former could well make it a straight match
between the two.
Selection –
Fabulous Jet 3 pts @ 5-4 (BF2.2)
Best of luck all
Well Chief
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