DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
MONDAY MARCH 10
2.20 STRATFORD
KORUS (best price 5-2) has yet to win a race in seven starts, but there was a lot to like about his debut over fences at Plumpton last time out and with today’s extra yardage set to play even more into his strengths, Warren Greatrex’s inmate is fancied to get rid of that unwanted stat.
Having been a step slow to gather momentum at the start, the five-year-old put himself further on the back foot with several careful/novicey leaps on the first circuit but he did eventually get warmed up and by the time the field had turned for home, he latched himself on to the tail end of the pack to hold some sort of chance with two to jump.
Although he stayed on well from that juncture, he couldn’t quite get on terms with the front pair but as the speed figure of the race was quite good for the grade, his performance comes with even more praise than it did at first glance.
Since that excellent effort 28 days ago, the form has been advertised by Ede’iffs Rock and John W Creasy both winning and with the likelihood that a step to just short of three miles will see him in an even better light, the son of Cokoriko looks set to play a staring role.
KORUS – 1-point win@5-2
3.20 STRATFORD
GOLDEN MAVERICK (best price 7-2) did remarkably well to win from where he was at halfway at Carlisle last time out and with the first-time blinkers on seen as a likely foil in preventing the same occurrence happening again, Jamie Snowden’s gelding can provide his handler with his second notable hurdle winner in three days.
Having run over 2m4f at Ayr previously, it was understandable to a degree why the Zarak gelding was a shade outpaced at the Cumbrian venue but half the problem seemed to be a mental thing more than anything else and it wasn’t until he sniffed heading back to the stable area that he consented to engage his mind on the job at hand.
From being fully 15 lengths off the pace as the field turned for home, he suddenly decided to pick up the bridle and in a strong late surge that carried him zero to hero, he ended up taking away the prize which seemed most unlikely for nine tenths of the 2m1f journey.
Posting a smart speed figure in the process, the form has already received recent boost by the second and the third (both won) and with the slight tweak in headgear hopefully a tool to provide him with a little more focus, the five-year-old can prove he still remains well handicapped over hurdles.
Of the rest, Balhambar rates the chief threat on account of today’s flat track and decent ground suiting better than some of his recent assignments while on the other hand, Klic Bloum will surely find today’s sharp test over two miles not playing his strengths, having shaped like he wants three miles on more than one occasion.
GODLEN MAVERICK – 1-point win@7-2