Timeform Radio Racing Tips: African Eagle ready for take off

Timeform Radio Tip / Harry Bowles / 17 April 2012 /

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Will you follow Harry's Kempton tips?

"In all four starts in novice company African Eagle has struck as the sort to thrive as a handicapper and, now getting a chance from an opening mark of 116, he's certainly one to back to confirm that view."

Harry Bowles explains why he's backing a pair of promising runners at Kempton on Tuesday afternoon...

With betting opportunities looking rather thin on the ground at Exeter - Al Co in the 15:00 was the only one who made any sort of appeal - it makes more sense to concentrate on this afternoon's meeting at Kempton.

It's not at all difficult to understand why Call Back is a short-priced favourite in the opening novice hurdle, from a top yard and fresh from an impressive success at Bangor after all, but he might just have a bit more on his plate than the odds would intimate. Rather than second-favourite Bold Henry, I'm keen to try and take him on with Laveroque, a relative unknown quantity, but an unknown quantity with very good bumper form to his name. After winning at Worcester, Charlie Longsdon's gelding went on to finish runner-up to Rock On Ruby no less in a listed bumper at Cheltenham last term. Now, he has been off a year since shaping as if amiss in the Grade 2 event at Aintree, so whether he's up to speed for this hurdling debut remains to be seen, but with Charlie Longsdon enjoying such a fine season that's a risk well worth taking.

The most interesting handicap on the card comes up at 16:50. The first thing that strikes about this 20 runner field is just how many are coming here off a break, more than half returning from at least three months on the sidelines. Of those, Muldoon's Picnic has to be of some interest, having got no luck over fences back in the autumn, whilst Mohanad certainly comes into the reckoning on the basis of his Huntingdon success in October. The one who has unsurprisingly made most impression in the market as a handicap debutant in the care of Nicky Henderson is Mister Dillon, but it's another starting out in handicap company that appeals more to me. In all four starts in novice company African Eagle has struck as the sort to thrive as a handicapper and, now getting a chance from an opening mark of 116, he's certainly one to back to confirm that view.

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