More encouraging performance last time
Catterick 13:20: O'Grady's Boy 1pt win 18/1
O'Grady's Boy's form figures wouldn't give much encouragement for his chance in this handicap chase but his run at Bangor last time was a good effort and suggests he still retains the ability he showed when finishing second in a hunter chase at Cartmel earlier this year.
On that occasion he split Reikers Island and Looking Well and that was a big step up from what he had shown in his five previous runs.
He went back over hurdles on his next start and didn't show much there, nor in his following start over fences but his unseat two starts ago at Stratford can be excused as the saddle had slipped.
As a result of those runs, he was sent off at 66/1 at Bangor last time out. He raced towards the front of the main pack early on and maintained that positioned before going to the front on the very long run to 2 out. He was joined at 2 out by eventual winner Representing Bob and had just been headed for second place when he made a mistake at the last, pitched on landing and unseated Immy Robinson.
This was a far better performance from O'Grady's Boy and suggested that he could be competitive off his mark of 100, with the slight drop back in trip today likely to suit.
His inconsistency is a concern and he has shown a tendency to jump left even on left-handed tracks before but I think the market has overlooked his chance a little and any 16/1 or bigger appeals.