After a very quiet week, National Hunt action picks up again this weekend with good quality cards at Kempton and Warwick. The feature race on Saturday’s Kempton card is the William Hill Lanzarote Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.
Trainer Nicky Henderson has three entries with Aintree winner Dawalan along with Hammersly Lake and Royal Irish Hussar. Barry Geraghty has already been pencilled in for the ride on Dawalan which suggests he is the stable’s first choice.
The grey was considered a possible for the Triumph Hurdle last season but Henderson diverted him to the Fred Winter Hurdle when it was clear that he was not going to be good enough. He was never in with a chance in that hotly-contested handicap and time has shown that he is really more of a stayer. Stable companion Sign Of A Victory walked all over him at Ascot but he improved when stepped up to two and a half miles at Haydock behind On Tour.
He looked to be going nowhere with two to jump but finished best of all. He was made favourite for Aintree next time and rallied from the last to beat Bear’s Affair by three-quarters of a length. He is up 9lbs here but will be staying on when most of these have cried enough. He looks a good each-way bet at 9-1 in the ante-post lists.
Hammersly Lake was never really travelling like a winner last time but stayed on from the last behind Silsol. He looks more of a chaser in the making whereas Royal Irish Hussar has not recaptured his early juvenile form.
The bookmakers’ favourite is Tea For Two who won easily at Towcester last month. He is a course and distance winner and Lizzie Killy takes a useful 7lbs off his back. Hello George was sixth in the Ladbroke over two miles at Ascot and goes up in trip for Philip Hobbs while Warrantor steps out of novice company for Warren Greatrex. He was impressive at Market Rasen, as was runaway Haydock winner Kilcooley.
He chased home last week’s Tolworth Hurdle winner L’Ami Serge before winning by 23 lengths in heavy ground last time. Dawalan had him well behind at Ascot and is 8lbs better off here so I am sticking with the Henderson horse.
Dawalan @9-1 William Hill
Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4
