2.00 Aintree
BGC Partners Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1) (Class 1) (4YO plus)
Winner £56,270
Advice: 1 pt Smad Place w/o Big Bucks (5/4 Skybet, Bet365)
Across The Bay: Excellent efforts during this season, especially
when behind Dynaste) and then when second giving a lot of weight to Safran De
Cotte in heavy conditions; Exposed in Cleeve Hurdle and seemed a miss last
time; Not good enough. 
Big Bucks: Unbeaten in 16 races since reverting back to
hurdles from fences, and was incredible when winning his fourth World Hurdle
last time, holding off Voler La Vedette in style after having looed in trouble
from the last; Has everything in this race beaten and winner of this for past 3
years so unopposeable even at 2/9. 
Crack Away Jack: Third new stable following injuries with
Emma Lavelle and a failure to build upon promising debut for Paul Nicholls at
Cheltenham back in November; Needs more than that here. 
Pounganch: Looked horse with a serious future when bolting up firstly in
maiden hurdle and then in hotly contested handicap 10 months later; Ran a good
race (looked in trouble at one stage and needed driving to stay in touch)
although in vain when easily held by Oscar Whisky but only had the 5 runs and
step up to 3 miles interesting; Might be one for the places. 
Restless Harry: Switch to chasing not actually worked since
his romp over hurdles at beginning of the season (jumped poorly on two
occasions) but gained yet another Grade 2 prize at Haydock two starts back
before topweight in the Pertemps. 
Smad Place: 10th in the Triumph last season and
even better this year, turning competitive handicap hurdle on his reappearance
at Ascot before running big race when unable to give lumps of weight to Bourne
in similar assignment over that same C&D; Benefited from Thousand Stars and
Oscar Whisky wilting late on when third in World Hurdle but this a weaker event
and should run well once again. 
Tidal Bay: Enigmatic but has the talent to run, if not win,
big races when he wants to; Promising start to the season when third in
handicap hurdle and second over fences in Argento Chase; Ran a stinker (as he
can) when last in AON chase and tricky to trust after that. 
Won In The Dark: 66/1 third in this last year and sure to attract
interest based on that, but that due to plenty of non - stayers in that
renewal; Could take place late and runs his race based on last 3 starts but
others better.
VERDICT: A significant amount of rain has hit the course in
the past week, which turned the ground soft before a sunny spell quickened up the course a bit. While it's not BIG BUCKS
currently has nothing left to beat in this division and should win this easily
and make it a straight 17, with his closest rival from the World Hurdle absent.
In his place, SMAD PLACE looks to have the race for second at his mercy on
Cheltenham form with Poungatch far inferior to Oscar Whisky, Restless Harry
wanting some more cut in the ground and Won In The Dark – despite placing in
this last year – looking inferior to Grade 1 company.
No comments:
Post a Comment