DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SATURDAY APRIL 18
1.10 AYR
The handicap chase won by Come Walk With Me at Fairyhouse a couple of weeks ago was noted for its relentless gallop and MOUDAN, who performed to a career high in second, should have the sufficient tools to be able to cope with whatever is thrown in his direction in this similar contest.
Ciaran Murphy’s seven-year-old went into the Meath venue following a decisive victory ay Navan and there was plenty to admire about the way he coped with the step up in the grade, keeping on well in the latter stages having chased the hot pace throughout.
Although no match for the winner in the final half a mile, he did finish well clear of many useful and in-form two-mile handicappers and with the likes of San Bruit, Calico and Palacio destined to serve up a hectic pace from the outset, the son of Mount Nelson will have targets to aim at aplenty.
MOUDAN – 1-point each-way@13-2
3.10 NEWBURY
EBTS GUARD, unlike some of the main fancies for the race, lacks a previous run but that was the same case twelve months ago before he scored over today’s course and a chance is taken on him stepping up to the plate in similar fashion this year.
William Muir & Chis Grassick’s gelding was super consistent in many of the big, straight mile handicaps last season and even allowing the fact he was the veteran of a 13-strong race programme from April to December, his final effort was a commendable one in listed company.
In between times, the five-year-old posted some big numbers in some of the most competitive heritage handicaps of the campaign and with one of them coming when he finished a close-up third behind subsequent Hunt Cup hero, My Cloud, over today’s C&D, a repeat of a similar level of form should easily see him outrun his morning odds.
EBT’S GUARD – ½ point each-way@14-1 (six places)
3.35 AYR
The Scottish National, up against the likes of the Aintree and Irish versions, was always likely to be the poor relation of the big, long distances chases at this time of the season due to the prize money differences and, as a result, it is fair to say it probably isn’t the classiest of renewals ever seen.
Whether the race boils down to class or just raw stamina in the prevailing conditions remains to be seen but if the former quality prevails, KING OF ANSWERS has the right attributes to follow in the footsteps of previous stable representative, Mighty Thunder, back in 2021.
Twice this season, the son of Malinas has looked really good in victory but it probably fair to say, on two other occasions over fences, the way he has been ridden has been a shade baffling.
Held up miles out of his ground in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last time out, the seven-year-old did his level best to salvage something from the wreckage and in running the final circuit two seconds quicker than the eventual winner, Holloway Queen, he left the impression he probably would have won if ridden with a shade more urgency.
Hopefully, connections will have learnt enough to have the confidence to say to Derek Fox don’t dilly dally out the back, especially as they now know he stays extremely distances really well and providing he is no worse than halfway back through the field during the first three miles, his qualities can come to the fore at the business end.
KING OF ANSWERS – 1-point win@6-1
4.15 AYR
WEST HILL VERDE has long left the impression there is a decent race in him sooner rather than later and following on from a career high effort at Grade 2 level at Kelso last time out, today’s slightly easier contest represents a solid opportunity for him to back up that view.
Done for basic speed against the likes of Sober Glory, Act Of Innocence and Captain Hugo earlier in the campaign, a step up to distances beyond two miles have seen him far more competitive and his latest effort at the Borders venue points heavily in favour of a horse better than the sum of his parts.
Keeping on strongly in a well-run affair a month ago, the form has been advertised by the likes of the winner, Monmatres, Red Oak, Le Beau Madrik and Caballo De Guerra since, and hailing from a yard who has all of a sudden come out of the doldrums in the last few weeks, Seamus Mullins’ gelding can follow in the footsteps of Balboa here yesterday.
WEST HILL VERDE – 1-point win@7-2
4.55 NEWBURY
KING AL arrives here in excellent shape thanks to a victory over hurdles at Ascot last time out and with fitness on his side, Alan King’s inmate is fancied to add to his previous C&D win last season.
Overall, the son of Al Kazeem didn’t have a bad winter over hurdles and the culmination of his exploits resulted in a 20k pot in his direction due to a game performance at the Berkshire venue.
Edged up to 123 over hurdles, he returns to the Flat a more robust character and off a mark of just 76, you would like to think he has a degree of wriggle room back under this code moving forward.
His hard-fought success at today’s track last autumn proved the galloping nature of the terrain suits him well and with his favoured good ground also looking set fair, the four-year-old would have to do something totally out of character to be out of the frame.
KING AL – 1-point each-way@11-2 (four places)