DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
TUESDAY APRIL 21
3.27 PONTEFRACT
It took one run under his belt before HAVE SECRET struck oil last season and following a promising start to this campaign, lightening could well strike twice for the Havana Gold gelding.
Richard & Peter Fahey’s chestnut is not a natural front runner, so it was very much unknown territory he found himself in at Doncaster on his opening bow and, unsurprisingly, he ended up paying for his early exertions on his first run for the thick end of two months.
Much better served by stalking the pace and pouncing late, the six-year-old managed to come good on two occasions when he had the perfect set-up and with the strong possibility confirmed front runner Antrim will do most of the heavy lifting from the get-go, Have Secret will have a good target to aim at once facing the long pull to the line.
HAVE SECRET – 1-point each-way@11-2
4.38 FFOS LAS
Crystal Island looked the part when scoring in decisive fashion at Ascot when last seen and with most of those who were languishing in behind going on to frank the form since, he could easily be good enough to defy a 123-day absence.
However, this contest threatens to be just as competitive and at the respective morning odds, KINGS CHAMPION makes for a viable alternative.
Olly Murphy’s inmate posted a very good speed figure when accounting for a useful field at Ayr back in January and he was understandably a warm order to follow suit at Taunton on his latest start.
Unfortunately, he got rather bogged down in the heavy ground at the west country track and he ended up bumping into a smart type in the shape of Talk To The Man to boot, who duly followed up at Newbury on his next outing (ran in a Grade 1 last time out).
Given time to get over those exertions, he now returns to the fray at a track where he went well on his racecourse debut in a bumper and with the conditions likely to be less demanding as they were 77 days ago, the son of Jeu St Eloi can round off his season in a positive vein.
KINGS CHAMPION – 1-point each-way@4-1
5.12 FFOS LAS
AIR APPARENT had to be admired with the way he stuck to his task in a warm novice hurdle at Hereford last time out with today’s extra yardage likely to play more into his strengths, he can make an immediate impact on handicap debut.
Never a factor on heavy ground over two miles up against Supreme Novice Hurdle runner-up, Sober Glory, at Newbury two starts ago, Seamus Mullins’ charge was upped half a mile at the Midland venue a month later and although beaten 18 lengths into third, the speed figure of the race suggested he had run to a reasonable standard.
To back up that view, he was closing in on the useful Neon Dream in the closing stages and considering Alan King’s inmate went on to win easily next time out and is now rated 124, his opening mark of 105 might turn out to be on the lenient side.
AIR APPARENT – ½ point each-way@11-1 (four places)