Festival Notebook: Duty to secure tax-free profit!

Third in the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase as a novice last year, the Donald McCain-trained Our Mick would appear to hold strong claims of going a couple of places better, racing from a mark only 1 lb higher. Our Mick has only been seen once this season, failing to complete at Cheltenham on Trials Day, but he produced an effort of conspicuous promise and his able handler is sure to have him fully primed for the opening day of the Festival. Sloppy jumping perhaps cost him victory in last year's race and that is again a minor concern, though it is worth pointing out he was slightly unlucky not to complete at Cheltenham, cannoning into the eventual winner, Katenko, at the third-last fence and unshipping Jason Maguire. 

Super Duty, who is another Donald McCain-trained Notebook entrant, catches our eye in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase on the third day of the Festival. McCain indicated that the RSA was still a viable option for his talented novice, but Super Duty's strength in the Kim Muir market on Betfair would suggest that they are favouring the handicap route, and McCain has acted swiftly, shrewdly securing the services of top Irish amateur Derek O'Connor. You will hear many trainers declare that their horses will be different propositions on better ground, but in Super Duty's case it really may be true, his best effort as a novice hurdler coming on a sound surface at Aintree, and an improved performance is expected from the progressive novice.

Super Duty is likely to start towards the head of the market, but, at a bigger price, State Benefit could also put up a bold show should he sneak in at the foot of the weights. He may not be open to as much progress as some of his rivals, and his profile is slightly patchy, but he is a strong-travelling, fluent jumper hailing from a top stable and could well be ridden by the promising amateur Nico de Boinville. The rider was seen to great effect aboard State Benefit when winning a handicap chase at Sandown and it would be an undoubted positive were he to reunite with Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old.

Evan Williams has been extremely patient with Court Minstrel and we are hoping that his well-treated novice sneaks into the County Hurdle on the final day of the Festival, though, admittedly, that is looking fairly unlikely. He still requires a fair few to come out in order to guarantee a starting berth, but, should he line up, he would hold exceptional claims off a BHA mark of 131. A useful bumper performer, finishing fourth at Aintree behind horses such as The New One and My Tent Or Yours, Court Minstrel has taken very well to hurdling, registering a smooth success at Cheltenham on his seasonal reappearance before shaping well in defeat twice since. He was poorly positioned off a sedate gallop on his penultimate start and then found the heavy ground all against him in the Tolworth Hurdle, but the return to a sounder surface, sitting off a strong pace, should allow him to prove he is far superior to his current mark.

Runners Debrief:

An unremarkable week on the Notebook front with very few entrants running, but the ones who did show up were largely disappointing. Prolinx, however, despite failing to win, did shape much better than the bare result on his handicap debut at Newbury, finishing third having been asked for his effort too late. He ran on very nicely without ever looking like getting to the winner, but he finished with plenty of running left and should be capable of winning from his mark.

Midnight Sail did the Notebook a favour when winning at Kempton on Racing Plus Chase Day, but a combination of a 7 lb higher mark and a quick return to action in a more competitive race saw him produce a rare poor effort at Newbury on Saturday. He is the type to quickly bounce back but will find opportunities harder to come by given his new rating.

Alan King's Dalavar had been included on the basis he could be the type to improve in handicap company, but he was extremely disappointing at Huntingdon, finishing well down the field. It is hard to believe that the testing ground is much of an excuse considering his pedigree and efforts in bumpers, and it remains to be seen whether he can bounce back from this poor show.

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