3 minute read

Sam King is back with two selections on Thursday…

Alan King's horses haven't exactly been firing on all cylinders this season, but he seems to have hit a good run of form having saddled seven winners from 26 runners in the last fortnight.

He's enlisted the services of recent Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Tom Bellamy, who also hasn't shown any signs of slowing down since his big day, this afternoon and they look to have an excellent chance in the penultimate GC Rickards Ltd Handicap Hurdle (4.20) at Ludlow.

You only have to go back to his bumper form to find his finishing just five lengths adrift of the high-class Regent's Stroll on debut and whilst things perhaps haven't been completely plain sailing since, there's no doubt he's shown more than enough over hurdles to suggest he can be winning off this mark.

He chased home a useful prospect and more experienced type at Warwick on his hurdling bow before getting off the mark at Wincanton, while his subsequent odds-on defeat back at that venue on heavy ground looks all the better now the winner has gone to be rated 131 following some decisive wins in handicap company.

He's failed to reward favourite backers on both starts in handicaps thus far but there's reason to believe he's worth another ago. A French-bred son of Diamond Boy, he's clearly been getting outpaced in the latter stages of the contest and it's no shock to see connections opt to go up in trip now, while this return to better ground also looks in favour, as does the drop in grade.

I'm almost certain he wasn't at the peak of his powers when fifth at Huntingdon in December and with that in mind, I'd be hopeful of seeing a different calibre of horse now dropped into Class 4 level.

2pt Win – Don't Mind If I Do

Odds – 9/4

On the same card, Batwomen looks of interest now back on a sounder surface in the W.R.Partners Novices' Handicap Chase (2.50).

Neil Mulholland's daughter of Presenting has been running well in defeat since scoring over hurdles at Fontwell last April and she hasn't looked as though success was far away in three recent starts over fences.

She might have been turned over at odds-on when third at Huntingdon last time, but the ground went against her that day and having travelled well throughout, she clearly failed to get home over the extended trip.

This drop back in distance on a better surface should be right up her street, while it's also interesting that she's undergone a wind-operation since that latest effort.

She's back down to her last winning mark of 113 here and looks to have plenty in her favour this afternoon.

1pt Win – Batwomen

Odds – 3/1