As ever, stamina will be at a premium in Friday's Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow where THE TWO AMIGOS is fancied to reward value hunters.
Nicky Martin's seven-year-old, who won five point-to-points in 2017/18, proved equally progressive under Rules last season when winning three times (including over 3m6f at Exeter) and was still going well in second place when falling in the Grand National Trial at Haydock in February albeit some way from home.
That was an uncharacteristic mistake as The Two Amigos is normally a very clean jumper, and he was very good over the fences in the Southern National at Fontwell last time when finishing third, battling on well, behind the lightly-weighted One Of Us having made much of the running under 12st1lb.
Unplaced over hurdles first time out this term, I suspect that this has been a long-term target and, off a much lighter weight here and with ideal ground conditions, this likeable, genuine stayer can make a bold show at double-figure odds.
Last year's winner Elegant Escape is 4lb well-in at the weights after his third to De Rasher Counter (Yala Enki 12th) in last month's Ladbrokes Trophy and, while 9lb higher than when beating Ramses De Teillee and Yala Enki (now 8lb better off) 12 months ago, he clearly deserves great respect.
Midlands National winner Potters Corner, a rating-protecting winner off a much lower mark over hurdles here last time, is another who appears to have been laid out for the race while the Paul Nicholls-trained novice Truckers Lodge, who has a good record at Chepstow, and the gutsy Now Mcginty, who made Santini work hard at Sandown last month, are other obvious candidates in a typically open renewal.
At Kempton, JUST A STING looks handicapped to go close in the Ladbrokes ‘Where The Nation Plays’ Handicap Chase.
Harry Fry’s seven-year-old was beaten just over three lengths into second by Adrien Du Pont in this race last year and can now run off a 3lb lower mark.
A fair fourth first time out (wearing cheek-pieces for the first time) in the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton, this has probably been Just A Sting’s target since and, with the headgear retained, he can provide connections with some compensation for a near-miss with Acting Lass at Ascot on Saturday.
Hopefully, Belami Des Pictons will help the price, as the fragile Venetia Williams-trained gelding returns to three miles after staying on well from a poor position in last month’s BetVictor Gold Cup.
Posted at 1650 GMT on 26/12/19
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