It has been a brutal week for British stables at Cheltenham where Irish-trained runners dominated to an extraordinary degree, and it will rub salt into the wound if Screaming Colours (3.35), the only raider in a 20-strong field, can land the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on Saturday.
William Durkan’s runner looks to have been laid out for this too, and is very lightly raced for a 10-year-old with just nine starts over fences to date.
Jonjo O’Neill, masterful with staying chasers, fields the likely favourite in Time To Get Up, who is also open to improvement. At around three times the price, though, Screaming Colours looks an excellent each-way bet to extend the Irish celebrations.
Uttoxeter 1.50 Theme Tune has plenty of scope to be better than his opening mark, but this is a step up in trip and his jumping was a little sticky last time. Saint Dalina, who ran well over a similar trip to finish third at Ascot last time, looks like a safer option at a better price.
Kempton Park 2.05 All seven runners go to post with a chance here, with marginal preference for Fairway Freddy. He was back to form at Plumpton this month and posted a fair time for a five-runner race, and won’t be inconvenienced if the ground continues to quicken.
Uttoxeter 2.25 St Barts was useful over hurdles but already looks like he could be a better chaser after just two starts over the bigger obstacles. He got off the mark over fences at Newbury and should be able to cope with an 8lb rise in the weights.
Kempton Park 2.40 After joining Samuel Drinkwater’s stable over the summer Nightboattoclyro has gone from strength to strength this season, running up a hat-trick and improving with every start. He did not have much to spare last time but travelled like a horse that is still ahead of the handicapper.
Fontwell 12.30 Sambezi 1.05 Caspers Court 1.35 Belle De Manech 2.10 Mac Amara 2.45 Demopolis 3.20 Chloe’s Court 3.55 Lily The Pink
Kempton 1.30 Flic Ou Voyou 2.05 Fairway Freddy 2.40 Nightboattoclyro (nap) 3.15 Falco Blitz 3.50 Champagne Myster 4.25 Ebony Gale 5.05 Roll With It
Uttoxeter 1.50 Saint Dalina 2.25 St Barts 3.00 Rockadenn 3.35 Screaming Colours (nb) 4.10 Interconnected 4.45 Gaia Vallis 5.15 Frisson Collonges 5.50 No Word Of A Lie
Newcastle 2.00 Dreams Of Home 2.35 Kauto D’Amour 3.10 Bushypark 3.45 Road Warrior 4.20 Pay The Piper 4.55 Furius De Ciergues 5.25 Travail D’Orfevre
Wolverhampton 5.00 Ephemeral 5.30 Al Shoughor 6.00 Power Over Me 6.30 Arij 7.00 Garrus 7.30 Heptathlete 8.00 Carey Street 8.30 Elixsoft
Uttoxeter 3.00 There were concerns about Rockadenn’s attitude when he ran out approaching the fifth on his debut for Paul Nicholls in February. A switch back to hurdles did the trick, though, and he battled well to edge out useful stable companion Pic D’Orhy next time, while also looking like Saturday’s step back up in trip would suit.
Kempton Park 3.15 Falco Blitz looked like a horse on a steep upward curve when successful at Southwell last time, and was value for more than the winning margin having made a bad mistake two out.
