Wetherby stages an interesting card on Wednesday with several promising horses in action. The big stables are only just starting to introduce their better horses but Jonjo O’Neill is wasting no time in unleashing Fort Worth for his hurdling debut.
The gelding by Presenting was bought after finishing fourth in a point-to-point in Ireland and races in the colours of Messrs Magnier, Smith and Tabor. They don’t tend to invest too much in the National Hunt game so it is usually worth noting those that do carry their silks.
Fort Worth won with embarrassing ease at Huntingdon last November under Richie McLernon in a bumper on soft ground. It is true that the horse he beat has not managed to chalk up a success in five subsequent attempts but the style of Fort Worth’s victory suggests that he is worth following. The son of Presenting will need to be half-decent to beat Lady Buttons who was second at Aintree in the spring and also makes her hurdling bow.
The handicap hurdle at 3.25 also has several interesting horses including Goodwood Mirage for the O’Neill/McCoy team. He was bought to win a Triumph Hurdle but never looked likely to justify such high ambitions. He practically up-rooted a hurdle on the way to winning at Kempton and was brought down in his diverted target race, the Fred Winter Hurdle.
I am not convinced that he is in love with this game and the one that catches my eye is the grey Fair Loch. He has only had four races for Karl Burke but he impressed me when finishing third to First Mohican at Doncaster. Alan King had high hopes for the winner at the time and Fair Loch was bowling along on the bridle alongside two from home.
Things have not quite gone so well since but he has come up against some decent novices in Oscar Hoof and Yorkist. If Burke has him in good shape for his seasonal reappearance, he could go in at a decent price. Tidal Way was backed as if defeat was out of the question last time for Charlie Longsdon and he was going well when unseating at the seventh flight. That was a costly error and punters will be hoping to retrieve their cash with interest on Wednesday. He should go well but it was only a Bangor handicap and this looks tougher.
Fair Loch 3.25 Wetherby @8-1 Betfair
Fort Worth 4.35 Wetherby @3-1 Betfair
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