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Arc Betting: Mustang can roar away with this one...

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Darrell Williams sees good things ahead for Sam Poots' gifted runner in Tuesday night's live Sky racing...

The surprise absence of Barnfield On Air has thrown the Arc, which begins at Walthamstow on Tuesday, wide open, with any number of potential winners amongst the 48 candidates.

Sam Poots has decided to concentrate on the Scottish Derby instead with Barnfield On Air, but I believe he may still be celebrating come the final, live on Sky Sports, on Tuesday 26th February, courtesy of Mustang Garcia.

Regular viewers of the live satellite programme may recall Mustang Garcia leading everywhere bar the line in the Racing Post Puppy final at the Festival back in November, only to be caught close home by Westmead Tina, before going on to clock a very fast 28.49 over CD in early December. A lightly raced sort - he has only run only ten times since coming across from Ireland - he was also fourth in the Romford Puppy Cup and remains open to plenty of improvement. A first run since Christmas the other day should put him spot on for his heat.

It's the aforementioned Puppy final at the Racing Post Festival which I believe could be the key race, with Ronnies Hustle, for the in form Kim Marlow camp, another must for the ante-post portfolio. An unusually slow break in that final could him dearly - he had been sent off as favourite after a rapid 28.53 in the heats - but a record of five wins in nine starts at the Chingford Road circuit, coupled with a very fast 27.56 at Wimbledon on Oaks final night more than outlines his credentials.

Taking of the Oaks, champion Blonde Jeannie is certainly worth at least a saver outright. A competition player right out of the top drawer - her CV includes a runner-up spot in the Reading Masters, plus victories also in the Northern and Yorkshire Oaks. She also claimed the bitches final at the Festival and should be spot on after a narrow defeat at Wimbledon last Tuesday.

As I mentioned the event looks wide open, which hopefully means plenty of opportunities for trading along the way, with one likely candidate for that being Black Ice Boss for Jim Reynolds. Fifth in the Romford Puppy Cup in November, he had been off the track until posting a brace of decent performances over the Arc trip late last month to suggest he can play a big part in the competition outright.

The Springbok semi-finals, set for Wimbledon on Friday, have unfortunately thrown the two ante-post favourites, Hotdog Jack and Beardys Harry, together in the same race - a situation not helped by the fact that only two qualify from each heat. Those who followed my advice and backed Hotdog Jack outright are now in an excellent position after his unbelievably impressive win in the heats, showing exceptional pace to the bend for a near nine-length success.

The opportunity is now in place to at least partially trade out, although I expect him to win his semi-final at the expense of Beardys Harry, who although somewhat disappointing me the other night, should qualify from an excellent make up. Indeed I'm envisaging few shocks, with Beardys Harry's conqueror All Clued Up expected to take his semi-final, where Roancarrig View, who returned to form as suggested he would the other day, can also qualify, while Be All and Striding Edge should be good enough in the remaining semi-final.