Today's Racing - 10th March 2012

1 pt each/way Carrigmorna King, 2.05 Sandown (8/1 Betfred)

The last Saturday before Cheltenham gives us a taster of what’s to come over the four days with two fiendishly competitive handicaps with large fields and Cairraigmorna King might be the answer to the “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle handicap final.

Phillip Hobbs’s charge has been beaten by three good horses this season – Prospect Wells, Broadbackbob & Salubrious – and has been really well treated by the handicapper leaving him off a mark of 122, the same mark which he posted for a game win at Newbury over the next time out winner Sunny Legend, with impressive winner Claret Cloak some way behind in fifth. That has to be taken with a pinch of salt given the improvement he’d have made from one start to the next, but his other efforts have given him an excellent chance and he’s got an excellent chance of winning this, let alone making the frame.

Anyone of 10 can be called a main contender, with Dualla Lord especially interesting back upto a trip which will place the emphasis on his stamina as he was readily outpaced (admittedly by two more than decent horses) over 2 miles and a furlong at Taunton last time. He does have topweight though, which while not being a putoff, does lend to out selections.

Nicky Henderson’s Speed Master is three from three over hurdles and should go well in his bid to retain this prize for Seven Barrows, having impressved with three easy wins this year. This is a big step up on those efforts though and Skint had much stronger form when winning this last year.

Presenting Ac e has been gambled on for David Pipe and should have much more to offer for a step back up in trip (he was running over this distance earlier in the season) but much more is needed and his form barely stands up to anything provided in the field.

Same Difference, back to his best trip, looks a bit big at 18/1 given how closely matched his is with our selection, while Grove Pride and Ambion Wood are interesting despite the top weight they have to share – their best form should see them competing right there.

1 pt win Ted Spread, 3.15 Sandown (4/1 general)

 6 of the last 10 winners of the Imperial Cup were sent off favourite and Paul Nicholls’s Ted Spread looks to have an excellent chance of adding to that record with victory today. A high class performer on the flat, he failed to fire fully on his fist two hurdles starts, lacking for pace when beaten by Boradbackbob and Grumeti on his first two starts, but he hacked up last time at Taunton in what looked like a fairly competitive race and a 15lbs rise for that seems fair despite the fact it’ll leave him needing to find another 7lbs on top of what he already has.

A strongly run race should see him finishing strongly with the tongue tie applied for the second time and it would be a shame if he didn’t have any more improvement to come after just three hurdles runs,  and a win here can set up up for a shout at the County Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.

1 pt each/way Devil To Pay, 3.15 Sandown (9/1 Boylesports), 0.5 pts each/way Ile De Re (12/1 general)

Alan King’s rejuvenation has been one of the feature points of the season and his Devil To Pay looks well capable of making the frame in the Imperial Cup. Fairly progressive last season, he made an excellent return to action when beaten only by Third Intention and Ranjaan at Taunton on his seasonal reappearance, a run he bettered when chasing home Betfair Hurdle fourth Sire De Grugy at the same track.

He’s 2lbs better off for a beating of less than a length, giving him every chance of reversing the form from that meeting, and his form this season seems progressive enough for him to take a big hand in today’s event, for which he can be backed at 9/1 each/way with Boylesports paying 5 places.

Other interesting sorts include Ile De Re – who fits many typical trends of a typical winner –and is probably worth supporting each/way too, as Sire De Grugy may just have gone up too much in the weights for this despite his excellent form, with Ian Williams’s charge getting a low weight and a likely strong pace to run at today.

3 pts win Regally Ready, 2.15 Meydan (4/1 general), 0.5 pt each/way Margot Did (15/2 Ladbrokes)

We’re getting a step closer to Dubai World Cup night – although you wouldn’t have known it given the pressing matter of Cheltenham just around the corner – and Steven Assmussen’s Regally Ready can make a bold bid to cement his claim for the Golden Shaeen with victory in the Meydan Conditions Sprint today.

An impressive winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint after winning the Nearctic Stakes last year, he return for the first time this year when failing to last out after a heated pace battle, dead heating for third behind Caracortado in the Daytona Stakes.

With that run (an excellent effort in any case given that the trip might have stretched him) behind him and a drop back to 5 furlongs sure to prove no problem to such a quick horse, he rated excellent value at 4/1 from stall 3, given that he’s arguably the best horse in the field who should have stamina left at the end even if involved in a pronounced pace battle from the off.

Prohibit should give things an excellent shot with a handicap fourth  under his belt (he’s much better off with Nocturnal Affair for that run and is a proven Group 1 sprinter anyway) although Margot Did is just as interesting. Things rarely drop right for the Michael Bell trained horse but when they do she’s as good as anyone, as shown when she landed the Nunthorpe in August, and even from stall 10 she might be worth a small each/way bet.

2 pts win Musir, 2.50 Meydan (evs general)

Musir developed into a top class horse for Mike De Kock last year and having continued that progression, there seems to be no logical reason why he can’t make it three from three in the Burjj Nahaar today. A deeply impressive winner on his season debut when easily beating Master Of Hounds over a mile, he had to work harder to deny City Style last time out but still got there in the end and should be well up to beating African Story, Dux Scholar, and Gitano Hernando, all of whom have question marks over them.

1 pt win Muthadee, 4.40 Meydan (11/4 Paddy Power)

The upgraded Jebel Hatta is one of the races of the season so far and Muthadee can put himself in line for a Duty Free tilt by taking the step up in class to Group 1 company in his stride by compeleting the hat trick here.

Useful in Ireland, he stepped up big style when brought up by De Kock and his team, catching the eye of many when trashing his classy stablemate Viscount Nelson with a good deal of ease, and was even more impressive when going over to the stands side rail to then win with a fair bit in hand giving away more than a stone to the runner up.

He’ll have to work harder to beat this lot today but nothing seems bombproof, with Dubawi Gold out wide on his seasonal return, Wigmore Hall also in the same boat, Master Of Hounds have been made to look one paced on all his runs this season despite attaining a fairly high level of form, and while better can be expected from Rio De La Plata and especially Presvis, they both still have something to prove in some capacity.