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WEST ZARA seems to have had a good chance by the handicapper with a score of 102 in what will only be his second start with a handicap. She ran with promise last month at Gowran Park when she wasn’t beaten too far and the most proving ground here should play to her strength as she’s staying well. It’s a decent run for the level, but with a light weight it should run really well.
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TOP TOWN BEN hasn’t put up with a lot of races in the past two seasons and at first glance he would seem to have a lot on his plate here carrying the heaviest weight. His last three starts have been a drawn effort in a category 2 hurdle in France last April and he is not at that level in hurdles so that can be forgiven.
He was well beaten in the Charlie Hall Chase here in October, but the decent pitch would have been a huge negative for him. The last time he was back with a handicap in the Becher Chase, he was fine with a bad fall. However, he was showing some of his old spark.
He absolutely started in this race two years ago with a mark of 154, barely having to let go and he is now 4 pounds lighter here. He’s won over fences three times at Wetherby and the ground can’t be trying enough for him so the rain forecast by Boxing Day is ideal. It is a sweet bet in my eyes.
It seems an ideal race for an unexposed horse to take advantage of fairly shallow terrain. STEEL EMPIRE seems to be on a high note and he’s a horse that has a run like this in him on loose ground. His reappearance run should put him on track for this competition at Wetherby and it was on much softer ground than at Haydock that day, he looks set to run a massive run.
It’s a very competitive race, although CHANTERY HOUSE look at a horse who could take a big step forward here and put himself firmly in the Gold Cup photo next year. I like to side with the horses that improve younger in these types of races and Chantry House does the trick. He faces off against aging horses like Clan Des Obeaux and Frodo, who could now be on the wrong side of their prime.
Asterion Forlonge could turn out to be a great danger if he avoids any mistakes, but he has yet to prove himself as a horse to be fully trusted for all that I love him. Minella Indo has the best form, but he seems to be a much better horse around Cheltenham. The fact that they are catching cheeks on him suggests that they are worried about the trail.
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spy trap is a pretty smart horse on the grass having ended up behind horses like Rohaan and Creative Force earlier this year. Spent at All Time last time at Lingfield, he was officially 8 pounds wrong with Documenting. However, he made it a real race. With that experience under his belt and with his brand unchanged, he looks like he has a huge chance to do better here.
APOLLO TEN has only one run under his belt after finishing sixth in a typically solid bumper at the Punchestown Festival. He was slightly hampered on the rail that day trying to make his move, but finished his run well when he was substituted. It doesn’t feel the strongest of bumpers and it should come close.
14:08 Limerick – Zara West (Ryan McCue)
14:10 Wetherby – Top Town Ben (Frank Hickey)
14:10 Wetherby – Empire Steel (Conor Murphy)
15:05 Kempton – Chantry House (Niall O’Reilly)
15:35 Wolverhampton – Spycatcher (Adam Killeen)
15:35 Down Royal – Apollo Dix (Allan Byrne)
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