Midnight Can Answer Punters' Prayer

If you've been reading my jumps-related missives of late, you may spot one or two recurring themes:

I like an Alan King novice chaser

I think the Centenary Novices' Handicap at the Festival will throw up winners

I think tipping-related puns need to be thought through thoroughly

So on that note I head to Stratford to look at the 3 steeplechases on the card. The steeple that runners at Stratford happen to chase is that of what's known as Shakespeare's Church, or Holy Trinity to the parishioners. So here's a wholly (overworked) trinity of bets:

To kick us off on the theme, the best bet on the card is Midnight Prayer in the novices' handicap at 14:10. The son of Midnight Legend is a tall, scopey sort who ought to do well over fences, and he will take all the beating if matching the form he showed over hurdles when winning at Wincanton in the spring. He ended his campaign over timber with a respectable sixth of 22 behind Trackmate at Aintree in May, and that form has been boosted since, with the winner landing a Pertemps Qualifier at Cheltenham's Showcase meeting. That represented just his third run in a handicap, and he's capable of better still, with a number of King's horses making a smooth transition to fences this season, and most appearing very well schooled.

It's hard to rule anything out in this race, but most have found their level, whereas the selection was only beginning to blossom in the spring, giving hope that he will remain ahead of the handicapper for a while yet. Biggest danger may well be a relative outsider in Who Owns Me, who had a profitable time of things last winter, and was probably just over the top when losing his form in the spring.

One with a similar profile in the 15:10 is Listen Boy, who is bred on old-fashioned lines, and has seen the racecourse only seven times. He made a promising chase debut over C&D on this card last year, and went on to break his duck over fences in game style at Leicester in December. He's been off since, but Nigel Twiston-Davies produced the long-absent Hollow Blue Sky to score at Carlisle yesterday, and fitness won't be an issue for Listen Boy today. He's not thrown in off a mark of 120 if his form to date is any guide, but with Desperate Dex getting long in the tooth, and Circus of Dreams a moody character, he doesn't have a great deal to beat, and should have a bit more in the locker.

My selection of Forgotten Gold at Fakenham last week based on the strength of the aforementioned Cheltenham contest failed in the most frustrating way to bear fruit, but the principal remains sound, and The Druids Nephew is the next to carry that particular torch when lining up in the 15:40. Andy Turnell's charge was my ante-post fancy that day, and ran well to be sixth given that he was always under pressure at the head of affairs, and he remains well handicapped on the form of his impressive Wincanton defeat of Grandioso on his previous start. With improvement the norm for second season chasers, he can make short work of today's rivals.

Recommendations:

All at Stratford

Back Midnight Prayer @ [4.8] in the 14:10 (NAP)

Back Listen Boy @ [3.4] in the 15:10

Back The Druids Nephew @ [3.75] in the 15:40