A runner of some interest in Market Rasen’s final race of the day, a mares’ bumper, is Rippling Waters (5.20). She carries the same colours as those of the well-backed Mister Whitaker, who won the Cheltenham Festival’s last race on the first day for his owner Tim Radford, founder of Timico, which sponsors the Gold Cup.
Rippling Waters finished fifth of 14 in a Market Rasen bumper in October having started the 9-4 favourite. If there is again strong confidence behind the four-year-old – for which Graham Lee is an intriguing booking by the Mick Channon stable – she could easily beat these rivals. On the other hand, the betting might suggest she will need this run after a five-month absence.
In the previous race, the ground could prove decent enough for Kings Temptation (4.50) to have a chance of providing another winner for up-and-coming rider Ciaran Gethings.
Elsewhere, Sir Egbert (3.55) has the ability to strike at Taunton if Alan Johns can succeed in settling this five-year-old trained by Tom Lacey. Sir Egbert looked likely to take a hand in the finish of a Kempton contest in early February until unseating his rider in a fracas at the second-last hurdle. A fortnight later at Huntingdon he pulled far too hard in a slowly run race. Among his rivals today there are several who have often led, setting a strong pace, and Sir Egbert may have been found favourable circumstances.
More solid foundations for a bet are provided in the first race with Mount Rushmoore (2.20). Colin Tizzard’s six-year-old has good Chepstow and Exeter form, and victory today could go some way to exonerating whoever made a monumental error when naming him.
Huntingdon 1.30 Schiaparannie 2.00 Working Class 2.30 Max Liebermann 3.05 Road To Rome 3.35 Eskendash 4.10 Minella Whisper 4.40 Ulis De Vassy 5.10 Mill Green
Market Rasen 2.10 First Drift 2.40 Tangoed 3.15 Red Ochre 3.45 Benechenko 4.20 Celtic Flames 4.50 Kings Temptation 5.20 Rippling Waters
Taunton 2.20 Mount Rushmoore (nap) 2.50 Never Learn 3.25 Lillington 3.55 Sir Egbert (nb) 4.30 Cap Horner 5.00 Brother Norphin
Tips by Chris Corrigan.
