The Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase is the feature race from Doncaster this weekend, live on Sky Sports Racing; Buveur D'Air returns to the track for the Nicky Henderson team at Kelso; Witch Hunter returns in Spring Cup
Friday 4 March 2022 14:47, UK
Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond might have tested positive for Covid-19 - but she still manages to pick out a few horses to follow this weekend in her exclusive blog.
It's that time of year when racing fans ramp up the countdown, and it's now 10 days away, depending on when you are reading this.
Well, I'm bucking the trend with a week-and-a-half to go before the Cheltenham Festival gets underway. I'm counting upwards and am currently on Day Three. Yep, the dreaded Covid has hit.
So, I'm talking to you having heaved myself off the sofa to my home office to talk racing. The head is slightly woolly and I'm alternating between Lemsip and tea, so forgive me for making this short and sweet.
Let's look at the positives and a competitive weekend of action with the big meeting just round the corner. Newbury host one of the feature meetings of the weekend with the Bet Victor Greatwood Gold Cup their main contest.
Paul Nicholls has an impressive record in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Three handicap chase, and he is double-handed with Tamaroc Du Mathan and Amour De Nuit.
They both look to have flaws though, so I'm sticking with Venetia Williams, despite the fact that some of her horses are suffering from runny noses (I know how they feel!).
Farinet drops back to this trip having been beaten favourite at Sandown over three miles last time out. He's lightly raced and hopefully there is more to come. He's a 13/2 shot with Sky Bet.
At Doncaster the feature is the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase which looks to be another wide-open contest.
Given the form of the Sam Thomas stable this season I'm going to go with Powerstown Park who hails from a yard operating at a 40 per cent strike rate.
He was pulled up on his penultimate start at Market Rasen, but was too keen that day, and won both starts either side of that.
He's obviously creeping up the handicap and this requires a career best, but it's only his seventh start over fences and Jack Tudor's 3lb claim is very useful in negating some of the rating rise too.
He's 6/1 with Sky Bet. It was almost miraculous that Buveur D'Air made it back to the racecourse after the serious injury he suffered in the Fighting Fifth back in 2019 and almost more surprising to see the dual Champion Hurdle winner running in a handicap off a mark of 153.
Granted, he's 11 now and whilst he hasn't shown his sparkling best since that day, he looks to retain his ability and he may be too good to overlook in Kelso's bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at 4/1.
He won't have things easy though with Metier heading the market with Sky Bet (11/4), particularly as the ground has come in his favour. It's a hot race, but with Sky Bet paying five places, rather than three, it's worth a closer look.
Over at Lingfield, the Coral Spring Cup is the classiest race on the card with seven declared for the Listed contest. Speaking of seven, that's the trip too and it can be a specialist's distance.
El Caballo comes here in superb form having won his last three but tries the trip for the first time. There's no doubt that the Karl Burke-trained colt is potentially smart though.
Witch Hunter also steps up from six furlongs but is bred to excel over further, so it shouldn't be an issue. He finished second to Canonized in the Rockingham Stakes at York last October and that filly takes him on once more.
She faces another previous opponent too in El Caballo and may find the form hard to turn round after he beat her easily at Newcastle last month.
In fact, the only seven-furlong winner is Anthem National who won very comfortably at Newcastle last time out. So, a trappy affair but it should give us some clues for All-Weather Finals Day.
Right, I'm off to shuffle back downstairs for a snooze with my very grateful dogs, who are enjoying the company!
