DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SUNDAY MARCH 22
4.22 NAAS
SHAOOL had a bit of a love-in on these pages last season and she remains to keep on side for her opening gambit this term, on ground she absolutely adores.
Even though she got beaten a couple of times in handicaps, Johhny Murtagh’s filly always came across as a horse better than the sum of her parts and her victory on her final start of the campaign proved that theory in no uncertain terms.
The way she travelled before powering clear of a useful field in listed company at Leopardstown proved she was easily capable of taking her game to an even higher level in time and with connections likely have her ready to strike at this time of year with a view of taking advantage of soft ground, she rates a strong choice to maintain her upward trajectory.
SHAOOL – 2-point win@15-8
4.27 CARLISLE
A keenly contested final to the Monet’s Garden series and both HELLO JUDGE and TOMMY COMBATS have enough credit in the bank to warrant being played as the two against the field.
The former is a course specialist par excellence and his latest victory at the Cumbrian venue took his chase stats at the track to 11271P1211.
The fact he managed to raise his game sufficiently to score over two miles for the first time suggests he still has plenty of gears for a relative veteran and having captured this prize twelve months ago, hope is high he can cling on to the trophy.
The latter, like many of his rivals, has had this race in his sights for quite some time now and with a recent profile to suggest he is more likely to run his race than not, Martin Todhunter’s gelding is a must for any shortlist.
It is probably fair to say Ayr is the seven-year-old grey’s preferred choice as a track, but he has run perfectly well on the three times he has raced at today’s venue and his record of yet to finish out of the money here will hopefully be maintained at the very least.
Warming up for a tilt at this prize with another solid effort at his favoured Scottish venue last time out, he clearly arrives here in fine fettle and although he could do with slightly softer ground in an ideal world, good-to-soft with no jar should be just about passable.
HELLO JUDGE – 1-point each-way@13-2 (four places)
TOMMY COMBATS – 1-point each-way@10-1 (four places)