Sports pundits
are often maligned for slipping into a stream of clichés when the predictable
so often happens, and while I’d defy anyone to commentate on a 35-minute frame
of snooker or a turgid 15-rounder between heavyweights without doing a degree
of filling, it’s often true that such lines are trotted out when the evidence
points to them not being wholly appropriate. Jump racing’s biggest lie is that
Tony McCoy will figuratively throw that most hackneyed of kitchen appliances at
every mount in his obsessive desire to win. Nonsense. That may have been true years ago, but
McCoy’s retainer with J P McManus demands that he rides much more pragmatically
these days. It’s true that giving a beaten horse a gruelling ride on the
off-chance of a miracle win when it’s gone unbacked in a low-grade handicap is
not the wisest of long-term policies if connections are determined to profit
from the beast in question, and to that end it’s well worth watching a replay
of the Folkestone contest in which Mission
Complete (14:40 Warwick) finished behind Pete The Feat last time. The McCoy
of myth would have galvanised his mount into finishing a closing third behind a
well-handicapped winner (both first and second have won since), but the
pragmatic version gave but one vague wave of the stick after the second last
before finishing a well-held fifth. That kindness will not be lost on the
stout-staying Mission Complete, who
jumped well on the whole in first-time cheekpieces, and the effort has been
rewarded by an ease in the weights from the handicapper. Given he’s a 6-y-o out
of a Roselier mare who has already proved that stamina is his forte, it’s
impossible to imagine that he’s not still improving, and a BHA mark of 107 is
more than workable based on his hurdles form, under which code he won 3 of his
8 handicap starts. The 29f trip will see his stamina brought fully into play
today, and he looks ready to shine, so expect his rider to be rather more
animated.
On the
subject of jockeys, I’m not at all sure that the dour Lie Forrit will be suited by the languid style of my bête noir,
James Reveley, in the Persimmon Homes
Champion Chase at Kelso (13:55). Lie Forrit looked a star of the future when
winning over hurdles at Cheltenham a couple of years ago, but he hasn’t taken
to chasing with the dash which might have been hoped for, and jockey Zander Voy
reported: “From the word go Lie
Forrit didn’t travel and he jumped very carefully” when he was a disappointment under a hold-up ride at
Haydock last time. It’s possible that new tactics will be adopted
today, and he could go well if allowed to bowl along, but that simply isn’t
Reveley’s style, and if he elects to hold Willie Amos’ gelding up, then he will
be handing the race on a silver platter to course specialist Knockara Beau, on whom Lucy Alexander
won’t be messing about (I’ve earned that cliché, thanks) . Knockara Beau has long been a favourite of
mine, and seems to have found the perfect foil in the shape of Miss Alexander,
who is a cut or two above his old pilot Jan Faltejsek in terms of quality.
Recommended Bets:
Back Mission Complete in
the 14:40 Warwick @ [4.5] (NAP)
Back Knockara Beau in the 13:55
Kelso @ [2.48] (NB)
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