Cowboy Could Gain Elusive Second Win At Kempton

Walkers Point ran an absolute cracker for us last week and as they approached the 2nd last it looked as though he was going to hack up. He travelled supremely well into the race having been held up in rear throughout and there was nothing going better as the race took shape in the closing stages. Unfortunately, the tank emptied between the last two obstacles and he faded out of it late on into a frustrating 4th. I think the soft ground may have sapped his stamina and back on a sounder surface he can get his head in front.

 

Chris Gordon has his string in super form.

Tomorrow I like the look of one at a big price at Kempton and I reckon Elusive Cowboy could outrun his massive odds for in form trainer Chris Gordon. He is a handler best known for his exploits with his jumpers and he has had 3 winners and a 2nd from his last 7 runners in that discipline. However, he knows how to train winners on the level too and in Elusive Cowboy he has a horse that looks handicapped to run a big race after a couple of disappointing efforts on ground softer than ideal.

This 4yo son of Elusive Quality’s sole win in 17 career starts (5 over hurdles) came on the all weather at Wolverhampton last December when he was trained by Stuart Edmunds. He stayed on well for a near 2L win that day off a mark of 68 and he found life tough off his revised mark after that smooth success.  He was sold out of the Edmunds yard for 8.5k back in June of this year and he made an encouraging start for his new connections when staying on well for 5th at Newbury off a mark of 70 (11f gd/fm).

He had a spin over hurdles after that decent effort at Newton Abbott when well beaten, and it was a similar story the last twice back on the level at Newbury (13.5f soft) and Lingfield (10f gd/sft). However, this horse has never been at his best when there has been cut in the ground so I think a line should be put through those two below par efforts. The handicapper has eased his mark significantly after those two runs and he gets to race off a rating of just 60 at Kempton.

That is a full 8lb below his last winning mark and 10lb lower than for that good effort at Newbury over an inadequate 11f when beaten just over 7L. As was pointed out earlier, his yard is in tip-top form at the minute and an in form apprentice has been booked in the shape of Kieran Shoemark. This will be his first ride for Chris Gordon and I am sure he will be eager to make a big impression. A return to form could be on the cards for Elusive Cowboy and at odds of 25/1 he is worth chancing each way for small stakes.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 21.10 KEMPTON-ELUSIVE COWBOY E/W @ 25/1