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Better ground to suit
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Promise on bumper debut
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Can't Resist It and Kentanddover are overpriced at Huntingdon
Moon Chime is the odds-on favourite for this maiden hurdle and I think he's the most talented horse in the race but it was concerning that he hung left and looked awkward under pressure when third on his hurdling debut at Kempton so running once again on a right-handed track might not suit.
Strutter and Jour D'Evasion have run to a fair level over hurdles but the market has now picked up the chance of the latter whereas there are a couple of hurdling debutants who I think are overpriced.
Can't Resist It started his career in the pointing field and showed some promise on his debut before switching to race in bumpers. He ran to a fair level in many of those races and I think the ground wasn't ideal for him in his last two starts in that sphere. His action suggests he wants good ground so the switch to a quicker surface today is likely to suit and, given he finished quite weakly on his final start in Ireland, it could be that the application of a tongue tie for the first time will see him finish off the race stronger as he makes his debut for Fergal O'Brien this afternoon.
Given his experience of jumping fences in points, I'm hoping there won't be an issue on the jumping front on his hurdling debut and hopefully the amount of experience he's had in bumpers will mean that connections aren't focused on furthering his education today. Any 10/111.00 or bigger appeals.
At a very big price, I can't let Kentanddover go unbacked given the promise he showed on his debut in a bumper at Doncaster nearly two years ago.
He looked a shade green at times during the first half of the race before easing closer to join the leader entering the home straight. He was travelling best of the leading group of four for much of the straight but he didn't find as much as looked likely and faded late on to finish fourth.
Although Spring Meadow's career has taken a sharp decline of late, he did win on his next start on hurdling debut while Magic Wave won a bumper by 13 lengths two starts later and is now rated 119 over hurdles and Theatre Man is now rated in the 130s over hurdles and fences.
There's the obvious unknown over how much any problems that have kept Kentanddover off the track will have impacted his ability and it might be that today is more about education as he's returning from such a long absence but if he still retains the ability he showed at Doncaster then he could run well in a race of this quality and any 25/126.00 or bigger appeals.