DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING

SUNDAY JANUARY 12

12.55 PUNCHESTOWN

Probably a more tightly knit affair than the morning market might have you believe and of those away from obvious short price favourite Lecky Watson, SEARCH FOR GLORY (best price 9-1) rates the viable alternative.

Gordon Elliott’s inmate would have almost certainly landed a Grade 2 over today’s track but for making a complete mess of the last fence, handing back the advantage to stable mate Stellar Story, and he’s gone on to run just as well at Grade 1 level when third to the top class Impaire Et Passe at Limerick last time out.

Holding very chance on the run down to the last, he just didn’t have the basic speed of a horse who had the pace to operate against the very best two milers over hurdles, but he did keep on well to finish just four lengths behind Willie Mullins’ inmate and in the context of today’s race, it wasn’t at all a bad effort.

Usually prominently ridden, he can either make the running if nothing else wants to go forward or maybe take a lead behind Lecky Watson if he adopts a similar role to what he did on chasing debut, but either way, he has the necessary qualities to be competitive at the very least and his speed figures so far to date suggest he shouldn’t be fourth in the betting.

SEACRH FOR GLORY – ½ point win@9-1

2.42 LINGFIELD

I CAN’T BELIEVE (best price 8-1) hasn’t quite seen out the extended 1m1f trip at Wolverhampton on his last two starts but now dropping back to a mile and facing a bunch of opponents that should prove slightly more palatably than last time, David Evans’ inmate has a reasonable chance of finally getting off the mark.

The son of Magna Grecia helped force a very strong pace that ultimately led to a smart speed figure for the grade at the Midland track last time out and even though beaten three lengths in the end, he still managed to finish a place ahead of the massively in-form, Overnight Oats.

In addition, both the winner and second have both won since and apart from last time out winner Marinakis, today’s rivals don’t appear at the same level.

Drawn widest of all here today, he can tread a similar path to many previous winners at the Surrey venue in recent weeks, down the middle of the track, and with the dead eight runners due to go to post, he rates a reasonable decent each-way proposition at the morning odds.

I CAN’T BELIEVE – ½ point each-way@8-1

3.25 PUNCHESTOWN

BRIGHT LEGEND (best price 8-1) has still yet to win a race over hurdles in eight attempts but his latest effort at Limerick was his nearest to breaking his duck and a repeat of something similar should see Denis Hogan’s charge make a bold fist of going one place better.

In quite a competitive affair at the Greenmount Park venue last month, the four-year-old ended up frightening the living daylights out of those who supported the well-regarded Balko D’Ange down to short price favouritism and with the data also speaking favourably of his performance, he clearly arrives here on top of his game.

Suited by slow conditions that day, this soft ground winner on the Flat also ran well on his only previous visit to today’s track when fifth to the useful 128-rated Highwind (Lark In The Mornin just two lengths ahead in third), and with this afternoon’s surface likely to get cut up rather badly as the card progresses, he will be inconvenienced less than most.

BRIGHT LEGEND – ½ point each-way@8-1