We were down to one runner on Tuesday after Fortamour was a non-runner at Ripon.
Like Monday, the Sir Mark Prescott horse drifted and doubled in price. He was off the bridle before swinging for home and didn't make any inroads. It was a relatively underwhelming performance, and I won't be in a hurry to back him again.
Quebella 4/1 – Bath 5.02
Considering I don't back many Sir Mark Prescott horses, it was very nearly a third in a row with Asset in this race. Her pedigree is very appealing, but I'm unsure whether this trip will suit her, which isn't questioned a lot about this yard's decision-making.
I really wanted to take on Pierian at the top of the market, as I don't think she's a reliable horse. She is rated 87, but her best RPR to date was 87, so she's not exactly well-handicapped. She has only won two novice races, and was beaten quite comfortably in a Class 3 handicap last time out.
In the end, I thought Quebella was the answer for this race. Spencer retains the ride after riding her on her two starts for the Owen Burrows yard. I'm not a massive Spencer fan, but when he gets it right, he looks like a genius. This horse has been mixing it at a better level over the last 12 months than this race, and she hasn't done badly.
She was 5th in a Listed race on her third career run, before finishing a solid 3rd/11 in a Class 3 and then 6th/14 in a Class 2, but was only 1.75L behind the winner. This year, she swapped yards and ran an encouraging debut at Goodwood in a Class 3. Last time out it wasn't a repeat, but maybe the Chester track and the soft ground weren't to her liking.
Her handicap mark has dropped to 83, and I think that gives her a very good chance of finding her first win for Owen.
Comic Hero 9/4 – Kempton
With the way that Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy have been pumping out winners over the last couple of months, it's no surprise that they are fancied with a lot of their runners at Kempton. Comic Hero was the one who stood out the most for me, and offers value at 9/4.
If Raggaas wasn't in the race, I think Comic Hero would have been around 6/4, and since I think the form of Raggaas isn't worth the paper it's written on, 9/4 is a good price on Comic Hero.
Comic Hero was progressing this season nicely until finishing 6th/9 at Chester. That track isn't every horse's cup of tea, so you can be forgiven for a lesser effort at that track. Prior to that, he was second in a Class 3 at Newmarket, and he is already a course and distance winner, so there's plenty to like.
Raggaas won a maiden at Redcar, beating a William Haggas odds-on shot. I don't rate the Haggas horse, so I wouldn't read too much into the comfortable win. Comparing maiden form to Class 3 form is chalk and cheese, and my selection has a lower handicap mark. It looks like a no-brainer.
GambleAware