A disappointing number in here and many who have to prove they get the trip.

 

At the head of the market a huge amount of the liquidity of the race is invested in Next Destination and Galvin. Both have very strong claims and I would just be on the side of the Nicholls horse NEXT DESTINATION if I had to pick with some impressive runs and it's 3 mile P2P background.

 

Remastered looks solid each way betting material at 7/1 for the Pipe team and will enjoyed every drop of rain, ESCARIA TEN for the Elliott/Foster Team is a strong each way contender too and can't be overlooked, Lord Royal for Mullins could be anything but not usually the type of race you'd think they Yard would target and may just be the best they have to run here, OFALLTHEGINJOINTS is most interesting at better Odds, the Yard has really started to fire, has had a truly awful year all things considered and would be an emotional winner and just feels one to be onside with of the less exposed types. Snow Leopardess has some claims and could outrun Odds. 

 

Of the rest, frankly no hopers although the lack of quality is summed up by the fact I will throw a bit of shrapnel at LITHIC at 100/1 - a Class 3 moderate handicapper, why some shrapnel, basically, we know it will stay and plod on up the hill and a hunch it may just nick a place if a number are pulled up for another day.

 

 

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A challenging big field and thank the lord we have one race thats indicative of a normal Festival first day.

 

There are some with strong form credentials and any number with a profile that suggests we haven;t seen anything like the best of them YET!

 

Paul Nicholls has a pair of strong contenders in Houx Gris and Hell Red and a sign of the way he's building his string up again in one of the rolling 4-5 year cycles and indicative of his greatness as a Trainer. Both have very solid claims.

 

Also 2 - handed with nice types is Joseph O'Brien, like the Harrington yard some niggles about the health and form of the Yard recently and that just puts me off Druids Alter and particularly BUSSELTON who seems to have been the ante post tip of every Tom, Dick and Harry for months. That one would be a disaster for the Bookies but Going and that yard form just put me off.

 

Her Indoors for Alan King and Cabot Cliffs for Skelton have very strong each way claims but their form lines throw up a few at bigger odds who may bring a bit more scope and potential and potentially well handicapped.

 

HOMME PUBLIC finished a neck behind Houx Gris in France, has transitioned well to British Racing in 2 UK runs and gets 3lbs for a neck defeat and looks solid each IF Houx Gris is the horse many think he is.

 

RIVERE D'ETEL comes with a strong recommendation from Sean who thinks he has been laid out for the race by Elliott and Forster and to add to a trio at nice odds we'll add SAGE ADVICE who gets a whopping turnaround of 10lbs from Cabot Cliff for a length and a half and who looks likely to enjoy the recent rain and hurly burly of the race.