DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY JANUARY 1
3.25 MUSSELBURGH
Paul Nicholls must be commended for the way he has just got his head down and battled through adversity in recent times, showing a good deal of class into the bargain, and AFADIL (NAP) is one of several who holds leading claims of making the long trip up north a fruitful exercise for his Ditcheat inmates.
Granted, the seven-year-old is on a bit of losing run but if his latest effort is any guide, he looks like he might be coming back to the boil.
Whether it was the foul conditions at the Sandown a month ago, the son of Camelot half looked as though he didn’t fancy taking part in the early stages (lost a decent amount of ground at the start) but to his great credit, despite leaking valuable lengths, he worked his way back into the picture and eventually finished a respectable third behind track specialists, Go Dante and Knickerbockerglory.
Prior to that improved effort, he had shaped as though needing the outing first time out in a hot race at Ascot which has worked out well since (Alexei, dance And Glance and Fasol all won) and now down in grade and back to a track where his form figures read 1312, he can go well again under favourable conditions.
AFADIL – 2-point win@9-4