Paul Ferguson has two selections for us on Saturday including Oscara Dara in the Kempton 2.40. Compare odds and bet.
Having put Oscara Dara (2:40) up at 12/1 on Thursday, I’m certainly not deserting Nicky Henderson’s eight-year-old in today’s feature Lanzarote Hurdle. A winner of two of his three starts over hurdles, his fourth behind stable-mates Darlan and Captain Conan at Aintree is high-class form and he bumped in to a subsequent winner in Cantlow on his chasing debut at Plumpton last month.
Both hurdles successes came racing right-handed and he has won on both good-to-soft and heavy ground. An opening mark of 140 looks fair, so it isn’t surprising connections revert to hurdling for a crack at this valuable prize, and he promises to improve for the step up in trip.
With Barry Geraghty in the saddle and the stable in fine form (3 winners from 3 runners at Huntingdon yesterday) he ticks plenty of boxes. The ante-post selection was trading at less than half the odds advised last night, with 11/2 being the best on offer.
Up at Wetherby Many Clouds, a winner for us last time and a horse I’m a fan of, bids to follow up his Ascot success in the opening novices’ hurdle. Oliver Sherwood’s six-year-old might just find it tough trying to give 10lbs to Up And Go (12:30) however, with Donald McCain’s charge taking a marked drop in class.
The Irish points winner was allowed to make his hurdles debut in a Grade 2 at Sandown, on the back on an easy Uttoxeter bumper success, and he travelled well in to the straight.
Beaten when taking a tired looking fall two out, the form of that race was given a significant boost when the winner came out and won the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle next time, and the five-year-old has been given time to get over that blunder.
Assuming he’s none the worse, the son of Martaline looks well up to taking a race of this nature. Incidentally, keep a close eye on the aforementioned Many Clouds, who could be just the type for the EBF Final at Sandown in March.
Saturday’s selections:
12:30 Wetherby Up And Go
2:40 Sandown Oscara Dara
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Last Year’s Book Results – Leading Prospects:
- SPRINTER SACRE – Unbeaten – winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- SIMONSIG – Winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- CINDERS AND ASHES – 10/1 winner of Supreme Novices Hurdle
- BOBS WORTH – 9/2 winner of the RSA Chase
- MENORAH & SILVINIACO CONTI – Both Aintree Winners
- SIR DES CHAMPS – Unbeaten inc 3/1 Jewson Cheltenham Winner
- FINGAL BAY – Won 4 times inc Challow Hurdle
- RAYA STAR – 10/3 winner at Wetherby, 12/1 Ladbroke Hurdle winner, 15/2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner
- AMBION WOOD – 14/1 EBF Final Sandown winner
- CHAMPION COURT – 6/1 G2 Dipper Novices Chase winner
- PALACE JESTER – 14/1 winner at FFos Las
- SWINCOMBE FLAME – Hat-trick winner inc Lanzarote Hurdle at 9/2
- TEAFOR THREE – 5/1 NH Cheltenham Chase winner (Manifesto Novices’ Chase)