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Meatloaf looks a dead ringer for a winner
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Nicholls utilises in-form Keighley for No1 pick
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Hosie hoping Den can do all the Dirty work
Wincanton, 15.40 - Back Meatloaf @ 17/29.50
Paul Nicholls has made it his business to target the closing handicap hurdle on Wincanton's card in recent seasons, winning it with Golden Move last year and Scaramanga in 2019.
On both occasions, the 14-time Champion trainer has employed the services of a talented conditional and that tactic is revisited this afternoon for Meatloaf with the talented Freddie Keighley bidding to record his fifth win for the stable from just 14 rides.
The selection looked as though the run would do him good on his comeback from a wind operation at Newbury as he blew up a little after the last to finish fourth to Bowmore.
Runner-up Believitanducan did the form no harm, winning at Plumpton Monday, while both Andashan (third) and Vocito (sixth) have finished runner-up on their next starts, the former to the highly promising Kabral Du Mathan in a hot Haydock handicap.
Meatloaf has won two bumpers and a novice hurdle at this track and is yet to contest a chase (two out of three ain't bad!) and he is also four from five going right handed so if he builds on that encouraging reappearance a race of this nature looks a perfect fit with Keighley on board.
Back Meatloaf to Win 15:40 Wincanton
Wincanton, 15.40 - Back Dirty Den @ 6/17.00
The cleverly campaigned Surrey Lord arrives in the West Country looking to complete a hat-trick following successes at Ffos Las and Kempton.
The latest victory 10 days goes unpenalised given it was a conditional jockeys' handicap so the six-year-old remains very nicely treated on 106, 6lbs well in on his adjusted handicap mark.
He may well complete the hat-trick here and could take up a fair percentage of the market to boot, but on the National Hunt speed ratings I use, compiled expertly by Andrew Bate, the Toby Lawes-trained gelding has a little to find with Dirty Den who resides just above him in the handicap.
Trainer Syd Hosie is still waiting for his first winner since returning to the training ranks in September, but his five-year-old has a bright chance of ending the wait if he can reproduce his latest effort at Exeter last month when a well-backed runner-up to Haas Boy.
He is no good thing given a modest strike rate, but is worth a saver with Meatloaf the main pick.
Back Dirty Den to Win 15:40 Wincanton