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Minnie can make the experience count
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Chance Pembroke to be ready for Welsh Champ task
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Racingbreaks Ryder worth one last chance at Goodwood
The market wants to favour the Dan Skelton horses at the start of the season, but Asta La Pasta wasn't the most fluent hurdler, so I am happy to take the chance that he might improve for this first start over fences.
Just Over Land is feared, but Moveit Like Minnie - 5/23.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - impressed at Stratford on chasing debut and took care of some admittedly inferior rivals. Still, they held a vast amount of combined experience, and he ran out a strong winner at the line.
The race turned into a dash, but being asked to run down fences at a strong clip is usually a negative for one so inexperienced. Moveit Like Minnie dealt with the task well under Sam Twiston Davies, and his jumping improved as the race continued. I'd expect another improved performance today, and this horse is very similar to the yards winner of this race last year, Matata--an out-and-out two-miler.
The seven-year-old has been at his best during the early part of the season for the past two years, and with an experience edge, he may be able to claim today's rivals. He held some strong hurdle form last year - the best on offer in this race - notably his excellent close-up fourth in the Betfair Exchange Hurdle at Ascot in Grade 3 company. He is the percentage call from a workable rating on that evidence, so he gets the vote at 5/23.50 or bigger.
15:20 Ffos Las - Back Moveitlike Minnie
Many horses use the Welsh Champion Hurdle as a prep run for future targets, and that's the case for Go Dante, who has proven to need the run in the past and got better as the season went on last year. I wouldn't have him on my mind for this, but he may come into contention for the Greatwood Hurdle.
Lum Sum is a horse that this column followed last season but has reached a high rating of 134. He was no match for the Irish at Aintree on his final outing of last season, and that effort is the reason the market favours him, but I want to look elsewhere.
Pembroke - 13/27.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - interests me. He is well worth his rating of 135 on a going day, and the first time up may be the time to catch him. He has yet to achieve the heights he once was expected, but his record following a break is very fair, and he must have soft ground over two miles, so he hits the trifecta in that department.
He is too unreliable for connections to plan ahead with, so I expect him to be ready for this today. He looks worth chancing at 5/16.00 or bigger.
15:55 Ffos Las - Back Pembroke
One final chance is given to Racingbreaks Ryder - 11/26.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - and the angle is the soft ground and the return to Goodwood. There is no escaping from his excellent staying-on third on his last visit in a strong Class 3 race when given a mountain to climb from the rear of the field. That is excellent form compared to today's contest, and he now slips into a Class 4 0-80 at this venue.
It was an encouraging run at Thirsk last time, but connections have mentioned that he needs slow ground all season, and the easy mile at this venue should be well within reach.
Stall one is asking for trouble, but this is not a strong race, and he may be able to overcome any traffic issues.
The four-year-old looks to have everything in his favour, so it's one last go at the Charles Hills horse before he is off the list. Back him at 5/16.00 or bigger.
17:20 Goodwood - Back Racingbreaks Ryder