Graham Cunningham / 19 February 2010 Free Bet View Market

"It will come as a major anti-climax if Menorah fails to take the 15:45 in style on his way to a possible showdown with Dunguib in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Regular readers will be well aware that I rate his commanding defeat of Bellvano at Kempton as the best two mile novice performance seen in Britain this season and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make up into a very good hurdler this spring."

13:40

Finian's Rainbow looks one of the leading British contenders for the Neptune Investments Hurdle at Cheltenham and can book his place at the Fez by winning this handsomely. Nicky Henderson's gelding moved like the best horse in the race for 90 per cent of the Challow Hurdle at Newbury and this less demanding surface looks a major plus. He's bound to be odds-on and is very hard to oppose, with Arkrose and Spirit Of Adjisa making most appeal for forecast purposes.


14:15

Punchestowns and Long Run keep stealing the headlines among Henderson's battalion of good novice chasers, but Burton Port has progressed rapidly to earn an official mark of 158 and a reproduction of the form he showed to trounce The Sliotar and Blazing Bailey at Ffos Las will set the bar very high here. Knockara Beau is willing and reliable, while Pettifour was probably up against a very good horse in Michel le Bon at Newbury, but Burton Port is a sound jumper with a good attitude and he looks bound to go very close indeed.


14:45

Lough Derg, Beshabar and Souffleur will head north if Haydock is on, while Majaales will be at Wincanton if that card survives. Concerns about the weather clearly makes firm assessments tricky, then, but Tasheba's fine second to Mamlook here looks solid and his prospects look brighter than most whatever the opposition. Ashkazar looked on the way back at Sandown last time, but soft ground is a concern for Zabeel Palace on his return from a break and Midnight Sail might well find this trip too sharp on his belated reappearance.


15:15

By no means a vintage contest by Grade 1 standards and the up and coming Planet Of Sound looks the safe option to take his revenge on Albertas Run. The latter had the edge when the pair met here before Christmas, but Planet would have gone very close bar one ugly blunder and a 6lb pull is an added boost. The freewheeling Herecomesthetruth looks the main danger provided he doesn't get in a destructive duel with The Sawyer, while Monet's Garden has a fine record in this race and showed he still has fire in his belly by defying a mark of 159 at Aintree. Oh Crick offers potential as a place lay given that he has plenty on at these weights, but Planet Of Sound is dead reliable with the prospect of a little better to come and can land this on his way to a tilt at Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase.


15:45

It will come as a major anti-climax if Menorah fails to take this in style on his way to a possible showdown with Dunguib in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Regular readers will be well aware that I rate his commanding defeat of Bellvano at Kempton as the best two mile novice performance seen in Britain this season and it wouldn't surprise me to see him make up into a very good hurdler this spring. Lush Life is progressive, while Prince Buster can go well at a price if he settles better, but Menorah has bundles in hand on his Kempton form and should score accordingly.


16:20

No strong views here, though they should go a good pace with L'Orient Express and Little Josh in the line-up. Little Josh is less exposed than most and bolted up at Kelso, but this will be more of a test of speed and the Sandown handicap in which Russian Flag and Panjo Bere finished first and third recently could hold the key. Russian Flag came out on top that day, but Panjo Bere stayed on strongly up the hill. A 4lb pull helps his cause this time and the fact that Panjo Bere has run some of his very best races at Ascot earns him a narrow vote.