DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
MONDAY DECEMBER 22
12.50 HUNTINGDON
PETTY CASH was the only one to offer any resistance to all-the-way winner, Ben Solo, on his seasonal bow at Chepstow a month ago and with that performance seen as an extremely solid platform from which to build around, Henry Daly’s inmate is strongly fancied to go one place better.
Having his first run for a year at the Welsh venue, the eight-year-old could have easily thrown in the towel once his race-fit main market rival kicked for home at the fifth last but to his great credit he kept on stoically in the final mile to push the well-backed favourite all the way to the line.
Form wise, both the winner and the fourth have gone on to suggest the race 31 days ago was useful one of its kind (good speed figure) and with today’s extra half a mile in-keeping with his overall profile, the lightly raced gelding can repeat his previous success at the same track.
PETTY CASH – 1-point win@7-2
1.08 MUSSELBURGH
OKAVANGO DELTA did about as well as expected over a trip way short of his best here last time and with Paul Robson’s inmate having the luxury of leaning on form figures of 1212 at the Scottish venue in recent times, he rates a confident choice to keep those impressive stats intact.
Two miles was always likely to catch out a horse renown for racing over much further but despite that impost, he managed to keep up valiantly with the speedier Nathan Wells throughout the final half a mile and push him all the way to the line.
Five lengths back in third that day was Prospect House, and he has gone on to boost the form subsequently and based on his two previous efforts over today’s C&D, there is a strong possibility he will follow suit under his optimum conditions.
OKAVANGO DELTA – 1-point each-way@5-1
6.30 WOLVERHAMPTON
The hunch that visors might prove a source of improvement by connections of LADY OF ARABIA turned out to be an inspired move at Chelmsford last time out and returning to a track that has proven a successful pathway for her in the past, Eve Johnson-Houghton’s holds strong claims to end her year on a high.
The five-year-old had been knocking at the door with a series of fine placed efforts prior to facing the starter at the Essex track and everything all came together nicely when, off a strong gallop, she came through powerfully in the closing stages to win going away.
As is always the case with a horse who wins in the first-time headgear, she has got to prove she can show the same sort of attitude again, but providing that turns out to be the case, the daughter of Poet’s Word has the ability to defy the slight raise in class.
LADY OF ARABIA – 1-point win@7-2