Top Notch chance of securing success at Warwick
THE £15,000 Highflyer/Million In Mind 4-Y-O & 5-Y-O Novices´ Chase is the highlight of Warwick’s seven-race card on Wednesday and Top Notch looks to have an outstanding chance of lifting the first prize, writes David Hucker.
This is a race that usually attracts a small, but select field, having been won in the last two years by Ptit Zig and Bristol De Mai.
Owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede will be hoping to follow up the success of Bristol De Mai with Top Notch, who was rated at 158 over hurdles, finishing fifth behind Annie Power in the Stan James Champion Hurdle in March.
Top Notch made his debut over fences when a close-up third to the highly-regarded Charbel at Uttoxeter last month and, with runner-up Le Prezien scoring at Cheltenham on Sunday, the form looks rock solid.
A field of 14 will line up for the opening PJ & KR Smith-Maxwell Horse Ambulances "National Hunt" Novices´ Hurdle over two miles and Doncaster bumper winner Midnight Maestro will be fancied to open his account over jumps for owner J P McManus and trainer Alan King.
But, with the runner-up not having raced since and the third horse failing to score in four subsequent hurdle races, it is difficult to weigh up the form and a better bet may be the Dan Skelton trained Asum, who made a promising debut here in April.
Others to consider are GetRhythm from the Tom George stable and the unraced Destiny’s Star, the choice from six entries for trainer Jonjo O’Neill.
Chantara Rose, a course winner over hurdles, heads the weights in the following Whitson Bloodstock Mares´ Novices´ Handicap Chase, but she comes here off the back of a poor run last time when pulled up at Ffos Llas.
Song Saa won two of her four races last season, on soft and heavy going, so she should be suited by underfoot conditions and, although her jumping has to be taken on trust, she looks handily weighted.
Chepstow winner Colin’s Sister tops the ratings in the Thoroughbred Breeders Association Mares´ Novices´ Hurdle and is bound to run her usual solid race. She has to carry a penalty for that success and my find Which One Is Which, who was runner up to Copper Kay in a Listed race at Cheltenham twelve months ago, too hot to handle.
There is a competitive-looking field of eleven for the Racing UK.com Conditional Jockeys´ Handicap Hurdle, including course winner What A Scorcher, who was not disgraced when third to Cliffs Of Dover at Cheltenham on her last run.
With her two wins this season having come on good ground, there is a question mark over whether she will be as effective on a softer surface this time, but she brings solid form credentials into the race and must be the one to beat.
The long-distance Geoff Hancock Celebration Handicap Chase is another that will test punters in trying to find the winner, but Leith Hill Legasi, who is not the most consistent of performers, may be the one to be on if putting his best foot forward.
Only one of the 14 who contest the concluding Whitson Bloodstock David Nicholson Memorial Fillies´ "Junior" Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race has run before, so the betting market is likely to the best guide to finding the winner.
Trainer Alan King learnt his trade as assistant to Gloucestershire trainer David Nicholson, in whose memory this race is run, and he won it in 2014 with Lady Persephone, ridden by Richard Johnson, who had also started out under the watchful eye of “The Duke” as Nicholson was known.
Without a runner last year, King is looking to Passing Call this time and, with her dam Call Me ALegend notching up six successes, including a heavy ground chase win over the course, she is certainly bred for the job.
