GG’s race of the day comes from Exeter tomorrow. The Virgin Bet Novices’ Chase looks a fascinating affair with potential to throw up some Cheltenham Festival clues. Our preview is below alongside a William Hill Bet £10 – Get £30 In Free Bets new customer offer.
PATS FANCY 5/4
Rebecca Curtis’ seven-year-old is seeing his form franked all over the place after impressive performances at Chepstow.
After finishing second in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham last season, PATS FANCY seemed to have lost his way, including on his seasonal debut over fences. However, things have turned completely on their head since, with two impressive victories in novice handicaps at the Welsh track.
The runners-up in those races, Gericault Roque and Imperial Alcazar, have gone up 10 and 7lb since finishing behind Pats Fancy, which makes his own 17lb rise for those two wins looks much more reasonable.
While good ground and a right-handed track may ask slightly different questions, there is no doubt he is improving for fences. He is swiftly becoming a stable star.
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DUSART 11/8
Despite noticeably jumping left for most of his chase debut at Leicester in January, DUSART remains on a right-handed track here at Exeter.
On the whole, he jumped well and Nico De Boinville was particularly impressed on that front. Ultimately, he should have won regardless of how far left he jumped given he went off 2/7, but there would have been some fears about the proximity of the runner-up at the last.
More encouraging was the way in which he finished his race to go five lengths clear. Similarly, despite carrying a penalty for that victory, he will get 4lb from Pats Fancy because that rival has won twice.
As he remains inexperienced, his reputation will proceed him for some time. Yet, if he makes good on that reputation here, he could jump into the reckoning for a Cheltenham Festival contest.
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CAPTAIN CUCKOO 66/1
Theo Gillard has been in phenomenal form recently, riding four double-figure priced winners in the last five days.
However, he’d need to complete his full transformation into Superman to have a chance on CAPTAIN CUCKOO here. The ten-year-old is winless in nine chase starts, but despite occasionally outrunning big odds against decent opposition, this is a class above his station.
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FLASH COLLONGES 3/1
Two starts over fences have been fruitless so far for FLASH COLLONGES.
Indeed, it is not so much that he has lost the chases he has contested. He started in Grade 2 company, which was tough enough, but that also came against Ahoy Senor. Realistically, he had little chance.
However, running again at Newbury, in December, he was pulled up in a novices’ handicap. Trainer Paul Nicholls is running him in another decent event here, so he clearly has faith that he can compete against useful opponents.
On ratings, due to his excellent victory in a handicap hurdle at Kelso last March, he comes off best here given the allowances he gets from Pats Fancy and Dusart. Nevertheless, he will have to leave this season’s form well behind to stand a chance.
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REIGN SUEPREME 50/1
Trainer Nikki Evans has only ever sent out two chase winners in her career. This looks a tough race in which to earn her third.
REIGN SUEPREME could well prove a decent enough recruit from the point-to-pointing scene. His half-sister was a two-time winner for the yard, while he won between the sticks on his last point start. He was also fifth to Sir Gerhard at Boulta in November 2019.
Realistically, he will have better opportunities in handicaps unless he proves a revelation.
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Verdict
Pats Fancy has a chance of achieving the hat-trick, but DUSART should come on for his reappearance and although Exeter is right-handed, correcting to the left is less of an issue than it was at Leicester last time. Flash Collonges could also get involved as Paul Nicholls clearly retains some faith in him.
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