DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY JANUARY 8
1.10 FFOS LAS
BOBBY’S NELSON has come out second best against two above-average rivals on both his starts over hurdles, but he looks to have been presented with a good opportunity to go one place better over a trip that should play more into strengths.
Philip Hobbs & Johnson White’s gelding looked likely to collect on his hurdles debut here back in November, but he just failed in his bid to repel the late thrust of the well-fancied Our Boy Stan and a similar scenario played out at Uttoxeter last time out, when once again mugged in the dying embers by the smart Baron Noir.
On reflection, it was probably no surprise that he couldn’t quite see off Alan King’s highly regarded inmate, who basically just had more tactical speed when required but even so, only being beaten half a length by such opponent looks just as good on paper, if not better, than main market rival, Giantsgrave’s effort, when third behind Gatineau Park at Lingfield last time.
Either way, the son of Mount Nelson comes across as an honest sort who should continue to improve and being a former runner-up in an Irish point on heavy ground, you can’t imagine he will not take a step backwards for going an extra half a mile here today.
BOBBY’S NELSON – 1-point each-way@9-2
2.10 FFOS LAS
HOT GODDESS didn’t shape too badly against two nice types at Lingfield last time out and on the evidence of that display, Martin Keighley’s mare makes a reasonable amount of appeal on handicap debut.
Having her first outing for the thick end of a year, she was unsurprisingly keen in the early stages at the Surrey venue but despite the expenditure of energy, she still managed to keep tabs with Precious Metal and Cinquenta in the final half a mile.
Likely to find today’s more sedate pace over further a good deal more to her benefit and having run well against the likes of Quebecois and Jasmine Bliss over 2m4f last season, her opening mark of 107 looks more than workable against this sort of level of opposition.
HOT GODDESS – ½ point each-way@
5.30 CHELMSFORD
SPARKSMITH made a more than satisfactory start to his career at Lingfield last month and providing James Ferguson’s inmate takes a little step forward from that initial outing, he has bright prospects of shedding the maiden tag.
Unable to match the pace of the front two in the market at the Surrey venue late on, he ran perfectly well until lack of experience proved his undoing and he also came out of the contest with a decent speed figure next to his name.
In mitigation, he was probably finding the sharp nature of the track a baptism of fire and with today’s slower surface and more galloping terrain likely to see him to better advantage, the son of Hello Youmzain should be able of putting himself in awinning position from stall 2.
SPARKSMITH – 1-point win@9-2