DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
WEDNESDAY APRIL 9
3.25 TAUNTON
TARITINO (NAP) (best price 3-1) paid for being too aggressively ridden in the early stages here last time out and under a potentially more conservative ride, Joe Tickle’s inmate can reap the benefit of such tactics.
Although he has made the running in the past, it was a surprise to see him blast off in the manner he did 15 days ago and even though at one stage he looked as though he might hang tough, eventually the laws of science took over and he ultimately faded into third after being joined at the last.
Still, it wasn’t a bad effort by the five-year-old in the scheme of things and it was yet another decent effort at a track that clearly plays into his strengths.
Despite being 0-9 over hurdles, he has shown enough to suggest that record is on borrowed time and with the data he produced here last time backing up that view, a run of similar magnitude might well prove good enough.
TARITINO – 1-point win@3-1
5.05 NOTTINGHAM
Translating previous form from the all-weather to the turf isn’t always straightforward but hopefully WAR HAWK (best price 5-2) won’t have any such problems backing up his recent victory at Lingfield.
Simon & Ed Crisford’s gelding has been a work in progress during the winter and into the spring and he finally got his just rewards for his endeavours with a victory at the Surrey circuit just over a week ago.
Slovenly out of the gates, the son of Mehmas found himself in an uncompromising position early, but despite having his back against the wall, he had the quality to come through extremely strongly at the backend and in the end, he won going away with quite a bit to spare.
Clocking a good time figure into the bargain, he clearly is a strong stayer at the trip and with today’s test likely to suit this admiral type down to the ground, it would come as something of a surprise if he doesn’t build on the sound foundations which he has forged for himself in recent weeks.
WAR HAWK – 1-point win@5-2