DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
TUESDAY DECEMBER 30
1.20 TAUNTON
The bumper won by Canty’s Cave was noted for its strong time figure and RELIGOUS CROSS, who shaped nicely to chase home the impressive winner, is fancied to represent the form with aplomb on his hurdles debut.
Neil Mulholland’s gelding was well found in the market beforehand, sent off 11-4 second favourite, and although he went a long way to justify his reputation, it may well have been a slightly different story if he hadn’t got himself into such a poor track position leaving the back straight.
Whereas the winner travelled up sweetly on the shoulders of the pace off the home bend, the son of Passing Glance was pinned in against the curb and despite his attempts to claw back the lost deficit, his efforts ultimately proved to be in vain.
However, he did keep on bravely to finish within a respectable margin of a horse that looked to have a bright future and returning to the same venue over three furlongs extra from an in-form stable, the former Irish point winner is capable of easily outrunning his odds.
RELIGOUS CROSS – 1-point each-way@7-1
3.55 TAUNTON
Both BALBOA and DIRTY DEN ran better than the bare result suggested in a red-hot handicap for the grade at Wincanton last time out and they deserve to be played accordingly against the field in this much weaker affair.
The former was on the sharp end of a pace that was honest right from the outset, and he kept on plugging away all the way to the line even though he got visibly tired after two out.
Considering that was his first outing for 183 days and the ground would have been far from ideal, today’s better conditions will play more into his strengths and with his tumbling handicap mark allowing him to run against class 5 opposition for the first time in his life, it would be somewhat of a surprise if he didn’t go well.
The latter also suffered from wheelspin on the rain softened ground at the west country venue and it was the main reason why Syd Hosie’s inmate chucked in an uncharacteristically below-par effort.
Although he wasn’t beaten miles and not disgraced by any means, his eighth-place finish rather blotted his record of fine placed performances on his 12 previous starts and having gone well at today’s track before, the status quo can be resumed.
BALBOA – 1-point win@11-2
DIRTY DEN – 1-point win@7-2