Tuesday, 26 January 2016

Barton Can Bounce Back At Bangor

The money came for Aerlite Supreme on Saturday and after waking up to read Evan Williams comments in the Racing Post ("I think he will run well. I fancy him") my hopes were high for a big run. A mistake just as the race was developing seemed to knock his confidence, and his jumping fell to pieces in the closing stages. It was an underwhelming effort and it will be interesting to see where he turns up next.

Wednesday sees some decent action on both sides of the Irish Sea, and the horse I am interested goes in the 3.55 at Bangor in a 19.5f handicap hurdle on heavy ground. This is a 0-130 contest and Barton Rose sneaks in right at the bottom of the handicap off a mark of 112. This 7yo mare is a daughter of Midnight Legend and she joined her current handler Michael Blake back in November. Her previous trainer Neil Mulholland managed to get 3 wins out of her in handicaps from 16f-20f, and her last win came at Lingfield on heavy ground just over a year ago off a mark of 108.

She has failed to get her head in front in 8 runs since that triumph, though she managed a couple of placed efforts off her revised mark, including a decent 3rd behind Rouquine Sauvage off 119. She has failed to pull up any trees in four runs this season, and the last two have come for her new trainer. However, her mark has dropped accordingly and there is little doubt that she is capable of going close off 112. Very promising young claimer Harry Cobden takes off another 7lb so she is effectively 3lb below her last winning mark.

Cobden rode her on her first start for Blake, and in 3 rides for the trainer since he has had 2 wins and a place from 3 rides. She faces 7 rivals on Wednesday, and having looked at their form it is questionable whether the bottomless ground will suit some of them. There are no doubts about Barton Rose on that front, and she could be set for a good run at odds of 16/1. She looks worth chancing each way in a race that could become a real war of attrition on the heavy ground.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 3.55 BANGOR-BARTON ROSE 16/1 E/W

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