Signs of Intent - 2.15 Taunton
Palmers Hill could be a very useful chaser if they can keep him sound this year, and it is encouraging that he ran a career best after a long absence over hurdles at Kempton in February, and given Covid put paid to another run in the spring, it should not be taken for granted than another absence since that run signifies further training troubles.
What is most interesting about Palmers Hill is that he’s a 137-rated novice who could run in a small-field novice against smart rivals to gain experience without damaging his handicap mark, but instead Jonjo has thrown into a seemingly competitive handicap where he is the highest rated horse on show.
That looks to me like a statement of intent, and if I was a major owner with a promising handicapper, I’d be loath to see him drop below that sort of mark given the opportunities afforded to those rated 135 and higher at all the major festivals.
The Massey Notebook - 2.32 Warwick
Ben Pauling runs two, and it can hardly be a surprise that David Bass rides the more fancied of the pair, Anightinlambourn, after a much better effort at Southwell last time, but it’s Pauling’s second string, Leading Knight who remains in the Massey tracker after two ostensibly disappointing efforts in the last month or so.
He was very green last year, and twice caught the eye in novice hurdles at Ludlow and Doncaster, but while it hasn’t happened for him since going handicapping, he’s already dropped 10lb after just three runs and the building blocks for better remain in place when the penny does drop for him.
Taken wide throughout at Doncaster last time, he did at least travel better and although outpaced turning in, he once again stayed on at one pace to finish in mid-field. That was in cheekpieces, which are missing here, and he drops back in trip today which, on the face of it, is a negative. I find him a hard one to get a handle on, and my suspicion is that his trainer feels he needs more practice before he can get to work in earnest.
The signs are that this will be about education and confidence, and so no bet is advised, but he may drift to a big price and isn’t without intertest if doing so, while he’s included here as we both believe that if you can spot a project horse, you should not give up on him after a couple of big-priced defeats.
I’ve not seen what David has with this horse, but I’ve learned that he can often spot something in one with this profile that others don’t, and I’ll be watching him closely with a view to the future for that reason.
Posted at 1800 GMT on 09/12/20
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