MY SILVER LINING and in-form jockey James Best are fancied to gallop their rivals into submission in the Virgin Bet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (3.15) at Haydock Park on Saturday.
An extended three and a half miles on heavy going will present a very particular test to the 11 horses in search of the £56,950 first prize - but the conditions won’t faze My Silver Lining.
The Emma Lavelle-trained mare thrived for the chance to tackle three miles and five furlongs on soft ground in the Classic Chase at Warwick last month.
Partnered by regular pilot Best, subsequently successful at the top level aboard Nickle Back in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park, the eight-year-old daughter of Cloudings held the challenge of Galia Des Liteaux by three-quarters of a length.
The pair came home a whopping 12 lengths to the good of third home Guetapan Collonges, and a 5lb rise in the weights surely won’t stop My Silver Lining from showing to the fore again today.
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PIC D’ORHY is the value alternative to hot favourite L’Homme Presse in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase (3.36).
L’Homme Presse is the highest-rated horse in the race on British Horseracing Authority figures and may very well prove the best of the home guard in next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
But the market leader has shown his best form over three miles, is arguably more at home on a left-handed course and his trainer Venetia Williams isn’t operating at the same strike-rate as in mid-winter.
If L’Homme Presse does have an Achilles’ heel, then Pic D’Orhy is the solid option to expose it.
Paul Nicholls’ nine-year-old suffered his sole defeat from five starts last season when bumping into an on-song Shishkin in this contest 12 months ago.
That same rival refused to take part when Pic D’Orhy lifted the Grade 2 1965 Chase by 16 lengths in November, and my selection emerged with plenty of credit when second in the same-level Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton Park five weeks ago, conceding 3lb to length-and-three-quarter victor Banbridge.
You could set your clocks by Harry Cobden’s mount over the past two campaigns and his ‘A’ game may very well be good enough for a first Grade 1 triumph.
Cobden is fancied to rack up an ITV double, set up by RARE EDITION in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Handicap Hurdle (2.25).
Lucinda Russell’s mare APPLE AWAY should beat the boys for the Grade 2 Sodexo Live! Reynoldstown Chase (1.50).
The Grade 1-winning hurdler slammed two rivals in a beginners’ chase at Leicester in mid-December and her last-time-out second to Grey Dawning in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick looks strong form.
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Grey Dawning’s trainer Dan Skelton could be in business with SHAN BLUE in the Injured Jockeys’ Fund Ambassadors Programme Swinley Handicap Chase (3.00) after the 10-year-old’s return to form here three days before Christmas.
Two days after his old ally Jamie Moore announced his retirement, GOSHEN would be a fitting winner of the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle (2.05).
But the mercurial eight-year-old’s case is not based on sentiment alone - he captured the Grade 2 test in 2021 and 2022 - and Niall Houlihan’s partner is well capable of playing a leading role once more if the application of blinkers has the desired effect.
At Haydock Park, Goshen’s trainer Gary Moore saddles the fancied Botox Has for the Grade 2 Virgin Bet Rendlesham Hurdle (2.40), but preference is for Pic D’Orhy’s stablemate RED RISK, who should relish the hock-deep playing surface on Merseyside.
HAYDOCK PARK
1.02 YOU WEAR IT WELL
1.37 ZHIGULI
2.10 SALVER
2.40 RED RISK
3.15 MY SILVER LINING (NB)
3.50 CUTHBERT DIBBLE
4.25 ISAAC DES OBEAUX
4.55 D’JANGO
ASCOT
1.15 PHANTOMOFTHEPOINTS
1.50 APPLE AWAY
2.25 RARE EDITION
3.00 SHAN BLUE
3.36 PIC D’ORHY (NAP)
4.10 RARE CLOUDS
4.45 ANNO POWER
WINCANTON
1.30 ROSY REDRUM
2.05 GOSHEN
2.35 HATOS
3.07 SHELDON
3.42 EDE’IFFS ROCK
4.17 CAPTAIN CLAUDE
4.50 SHUIL CEOIL
GOWRAN PARK
1.42 LARK IN THE MORNIN
2.17 LANTRY LADY
2.52 REBEL EARLY
3.27 SAINT SAM
4.02 SAINT FELICIEN
4.35 ARDERA RU
5.05 FLASHAWAY
NEWCASTLE
3.57 LOUISIANA BAY
4.30 REDONDO
5.00 ALHATTAN
5.30 BEELZEBUB
6.00 OLIVER SHOW
6.30 BONITO CAVALO
7.00 CONCERT BOY
7.30 GLOBAL HUMOR
WOLVERHAMPTON
4.40 MAJED
5.15 NORDIC GLORY
5.45 CHARLATAN
6.15 VAN ZANT
6.45 MAKE A SCENE
7.15 NOLTON CROSS
7.45 DOCTOR KHAN JUNIOR
8.15 DAVID’S DIVA
DOUBLE: PIC D’ORHY and MY SILVER LINING
END
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