12.30pm Wincanton gets go-ahead after noon inspection
Thursday afternoon’s jumps meeting at Wincanton goes ahead after passing a fourth inspection.
Officials at the track were on frost alert after overnight temperatures dropped to minus 4C. Although the track was “80% raceable” following an initial precautionary inspection at 8am, further checks at 9.30am and 11am proved inconclusive, leading to a fourth look at midday.
The clerk of the course, Barry Johnson, said: “We’re all good to go. The stewards have been on the track and they’re happy. A couple of jockeys went out about half an hour ago as well and we’re happy to give it a go.” PA
11.45am Thursday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
We will need to wait until noon to find out whether Wincanton is going to beat the frost, as two inspections so far have found about 15% of the ground at the west country track is still frozen. It would be a shame to lose a competitive card which is due to feature the Somerset National Handicap Chase over three-and-a-quarter miles – Sartorial Elegance (3.20) is fancied to resume his progress over fences if the race gets the go-ahead – but there is at least good jumping elsewhere, most notably at Thurles where several Ryanair Chase contenders will line up for the Kinloch Brae Chase.
Black Hercules would be an obvious pick here if he could be relied upon to produce the form that carried him to victory in the JLT Novice Chase at the Festival last year, but he has failed to reproduce it in two subsequent starts and must give weight to Sub Lieutenant (2.15), who finished in front of him in the John Durkan Chase last month. He gets 2lb from Black Hercules, the only runner with a Grade One penalty, and looks a very solid proposition at around 5-4.
The hunter chase at the end of the card has attracted five horses – well, four and a rank outsider – that have won well over a million pounds in prize money between them. Foxrock (4.00) is least three years younger than his major rivals, however, and should make the most of it.
Back on the domestic front, a step up in trip should ensure that Fille Des Champs (3.00) continues her progress at Ludlow off an 8lb higher mark following a comfortable success at Ffos Las last month, while Vital Evidence (2.25) will be hard to beat if he can return to the form of his penultimate half-length second on his chasing debut.
Serenade The Stars (7.00) and House Of Commons (7.30) both have plenty to recommend them on the all-weather card at Chelmsford City this evening, while White Royale (2.35) and Englishwoman (2.00), who has won three of her five starts at the track, will be hard to beat on the Fibresand card at Southwell.
