Dave Ord's Nap went in at Cheltenham and now Ian Ogg has the Sunday best bets.
MANOTHEPOPLE provided Paddy Brennan with a winning send-off at Cheltenham in April and shaped well enough on his return at Chepstow (Ballygriffincottage behind, Nassalam pulled up) to believe he can still be competitive from his career high mark. The form of the spring success on the new course looks solid enough and proved he can act at this track while the prevailing good ground is essential to him. He's relatively lightly raced for his age with 10 chase starts to his name and fewer still under suitable conditions beyond three miles which can see help him post a career best.
Some useful horses have won the Salmon Spray with Baron Alco, Lisp and Song For Someone all obliging as four-year-olds but the race has been downgraded by 15lbs to a 0-120 and there doesn't appear to be anything of their calibre in the line-up, several of whom come into the race off the back of heavy defeats. Goodwin's came over fences and he may fare better returned to hurdling but KADO DE JOIE took the eye with the way he travelled on several occasions last season. The end results were not all that but he does shape as though capable of better and it would be no surprise to see him progress through the season for his powerful stable.
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Having been the subject of a bit of a gamble on handicap debut at Carlisle last month, DOMINIC'S FAULT really ought to have won but a mistake at the last allowed Kilbrainy to pick his pocked. Olly Murphy's horse certainly shaped like he was several steps ahead of the assessor and although up 4lb for being beaten, it shouldn't be enough to stop connections gaining compensation at Leicester.
A fairly pitiful turnout at Plumpton (all six races have just four runners) but Murphy could be on the money here too courtesy of EATON ANNE in the Royal Yeomanry Association Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, with James King taking the mount on the six-year-old. A point-to-point winner, Eaton Anne looks bound to appreciate another step up in trip here and, like the Nap above, he's entitled to be a bit sharper for his comeback run having been a promising second on handicap debut at Stratford last month. A subsequent 2lb rise seems perfectly fair.
CHATTAMENTO looks worth chancing in the Dragonbet Supporting UK Racecourses Mares' Novices' Hurdle. She wouldn't want the ground to get too quick but there are enough showers around which should keep conditions suitable and she was an improved second (after wind surgery) on good going in a Stratford bumper back in May. The slightly longer now on a stiff track should help now tackling hurdles for the first time in public and if she takes to it then she should be well up to winning a race or two this season.
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