Black Op will be the latest leading novice hurdler from last season to make the step up to fences when he lines up for a beginners’ chase at Exeter this afternoon, and he will set off at a short price to make it a winning start over the bigger obstacles. He will need to defy a slightly unnerving stat to do so, though, as the race chosen to launch his chasing career has given favourite-backers a torrid time in recent seasons.
This is the race in which Yanworth, also an excellent novice over hurdles, fell after setting off as the 2-9 favourite last year. Twelve months before that, Aux Ptit Soins finished second at 2-7, while Otago Trail failed at 8-11 in 2015. Punters might also want to bear in mind that Black Op was not the most fluent of performers over his hurdles last season, and it took plenty of courage to carve out a half-length win in the Grade One Mersey Novice Hurdle at Aintree after a couple of mistakes in the closing stages.
Black Op’s physique and overall profile suggests that he is made for chasing – he was already a six-year-old when he made his debut under Rules in a bumper in February 2017, but he was a winning point-to-pointer in Ireland the previous year. The hope will be that he treats fences with more respect than he did hurdles and if so, a routine win this afternoon should set him on the road to bigger things.
Ayr
12.05 Lastin’ Memories 12.35 Diocese 1.10 Big Bad Dream 1.40 Hope For Glory 2.15 Question Of Faith 2.45 Trongate 3.20 Progress Drive 3.50 Bally Conor
Bangor
12.45 Thyne For Gold 1.20 Jester Jet 1.50 Back To The Thatch 2.25 Flash The Steel 2.55 Steel Wave 3.30 Trio For Rio 4.00 Bold Reason
Exeter
1.00 Orchard Thieves 1.30 Ruaraidh Hugh 2.05 Redmond (nb) 2.35 Just A Sting 3.10 Black Op 3.40 Casterly Rock 4.15 Alsa Mix
Kempton Park
4.30 Rightway 5.00 Lady Adelaide 5.30 Arctic Ocean 6.00 Frisella 6.30 Hold Still 7.00 Busby (nap) 7.30 Caspar The Cub 8.00 Rocksette
Redmond (2.05) has crept in at the bottom of the weights for the three-mile handicap chase on the same card and is entitled to come on for his seasonal debut at Fontwell last month. Question Of Faith (2.15) is a fair price at around 7-1 up at Ayr while Busby (7.00) stands out at Kempton Park this evening.
He is going for a hat-trick after narrow wins at Chelmsford City in September and today’s track last month, and the time of his latest success suggests a further 5lb rise in the weights will not be enough to stop him.
