The Tingle Creek is eagerly awaited on Saturday, but before then, six horses have caught our eye with entries this week. Find out who these are, alongside an offer worth up to £100 in bet credits at bet365 when you sign up today!
ASO (Haydock, Wednesday, 2:50pm)
A stable stalwart if ever there was one, ASO has given the Bellamy Partnership and Venetia Williams a number of fantastic days out.
Aso reached a peak official rating of 168 in 2019 and it’s not difficult to see why he represents everything great about National Hunt racing. He has been placed in two editions of the Ryanair Chase, run over the Grand National fences and even competed in a Gold Cup this year at the age of 11. He is a veteran now in every sense of the word.
As such, and with his rating having dropped below 150 for the first time in nearly five years, he is eligible for the Veterans’ Chase Series. He looks to have been found an excellent opportunity at Haydock on Wednesday and could prove far too classy in these events throughout the season. That is, if a win here doesn’t boost his mark beyond the parameters once again.
BLAKLION (Haydock, Wednesday, 2:50pm)
It was six seasons ago that BLAKLION claimed the RSA Chase for Nigel Twiston-Davies and it seems remarkable that he has only returned to the winners’ enclosure once more since.
That’s not to say there haven’t been memorable days since then. Aside from that sole victory in the Becher Chase in 2017, he has finished runner-up to Bristol De Mai in a Charlie Hall while also being placed in a Grand National. That also excludes his effort in this year’s Grand National where he finished as the highest-placed British-trained horse in a race dominated by Ireland.
He is now a stone lower in the weights than at Aintree and it is likely his final season. Rising 13 in January, these races could well enable him to have one final day in the spotlight.
OUTBOX (Kempton, Wednesday, 5:30pm)
It has been a prolific 2021 for OUTBOX, who has raced no fewer than 14 times, scoring on three occasions, once in Listed company.
His year is not done yet, however, as he is declared for Kempton’s Listed Wild Flower Stakes. Partnered again by Hollie Doyle, who has ridden him to all three victories this year as well as to a place in Group company, he will have to concede weight all round under his penalties, but he’s a consistent performer with form already on all-weather surfaces.
With King Power and Godolphin forces up against him in Fox Tal and Siskany this looks an enthralling contest. Even fr=or jumps fans, this race should prove a midweek treat.
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MINELLA TIMES (Clonmel, Thursday, 1:30pm)
Among Thursday’s entries at Clonmel, Grand National winner MINELLA TIMES may well be making his seasonal return over hurdles.
While not declared for the race, he is entered in the Kilsheelan Hurdle over three miles. This has been a tried and tested starting point for Grand National hopes, particularly those trained by Willie Mullins, as all of Rathvinden, Total Recall and Burrows Saint have used it as a stepping stone for their season in recent renewals.
Henry de Bromhead may well take a leaf out of the Closutton master’s book, as he plots a course for Minella Times’ second National attempt. With a mark of 159 now over fences, it would be no surprise if he looked to keep him under wraps over hurdles for the time being.
HARDKORE (Leicester, Thursday, 1:37pm)
New Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Jonbon received rave reviews for his defeat of Good Risk At All at Newbury at the weekend. However, the horse who beat the same rival on their mutual hurdling debut is also worth looking out for going into the season ahead.
HARDKORE beat Sam Thomas’s charge by just over four lengths when the pair met at Chepstow at the start of the month and he is penned in for this novice event at Leicester on Thursday. What he achieved can be brought into question, but the runner-up arguably franked the form when finishing second once more.
He could have a very productive future, as he is still only four years old and Dan Skelton will likely have some lofty plans laid out for him.
MORIKO DE VASSY (Leicester, Thursday, 1:37pm)
You never quite know how much a novice hurdler will progress after just one start, but it is fair to say MORIKO DE VASSY couldn’t have done much more when winning on his debut over timber.
There are numerous ways of reading his 30-length success at Hereford. One way is to simply look at the finish and see how much ground he put between his rivals between the last two hurdles. Another may be to look at the time, which was nothing special, while his closest pursuers ended up being big outsiders with no prior form. All of his market rivals significantly underperformed.
However, the fourth, one of said market rivals, has come out and won since, which gives this form an almighty boost. Trainer Tom Symonds thinks he’ll be a better chaser than hurdler, but may only want a sounder surface. Nevertheless, he is one to be excited about.
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