By Ashley Iveson
Bowtogreatness is backed to continue Ben Pauling’s fantastic run of form with victory in the Coral Trophy at Kempton.
The Naunton Downs handler has been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, highlighted by a treble at Ascot last Saturday.
A Tuesday winner at Market Rasen and a Doncaster double on Wednesday kept the bandwagon rolling and Pauling will head to Kempton this weekend with high hopes of adding to his tally.
Bowtogreatness won twice from four starts over hurdles, but has yet to find the target since having his attentions switched to the larger obstacles.
That being said, a runner-up finish in a competitive handicap at last year’s Grand National meeting at Aintree is evidence of what he is capable of and he is only 1lb higher in the weights ahead of his latest assignment.
His post-Christmas comeback at Newbury was disappointing, but there was more promise in his most recent performance when fifth behind leading Cheltenham Festival contender Ginny’s Destiny at Prestbury Park late last month.
Bowtogreatness has proven himself in testing conditions and, stepping back up in trip, a bold bid is anticipated in this £150,000 feature.
Pauling might also hit the bullseye with Fiercely Proud, who holds obvious claims in the Coral Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.
The trainer is particularly strong in this division at present, with the likes of Tellherthename, The Jukebox Man and Handstands having all shown their worth at a high level.
Fiercely Proud himself won his first two starts over hurdles before finishing a very creditable third behind the highly touted Jeriko Du Reponet in a rescheduled Rossington Main at Doncaster last month.
He has a little bit of ground to make up on the reopposing runner-up Lump Sum, but at the prices he looks the value call.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Kalif Du Berlais will take some stopping in the Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle.
This French recruit was hugely impressive on his British debut over the course and distance early in the new year and the form is not too shabby, with runner-up Roaring Legend now rated 123 following another couple of placed efforts and the third-placed Yellow Star winning next time.
Nicholls cooled talk of a Triumph Hurdle bid in the immediate aftermath of that victory, but it may prove difficult to resist if he can double his tally in this Grade Two contest.
A chance is taken on the champion trainer’s Tahmuras in the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase.
Last season’s Tolworth Hurdle winner was bitterly disappointing on his chasing debut at Chepstow, but showed his true colours when scoring at Aintree next time and backed that up with a decent effort when only narrowly failing to give 5lb and a beating to a fair sort in Crebilly at Exeter.
There is a feeling there may yet be more to come from Tahmuras over fences and this looks the right sort of spot for him to land a good prize.
Further north at Newcastle, all eyes will be on the Betting.Bet Eider Handicap Chase, which will not be for the faint hearted given it is run over four miles and a furlong in what will be testing conditions.
Anglers Crag is the likely favourite to make it four from four since joining Brian Ellison, but preference is for Sam England’s Fenland Tiger.
The eight-year-old has taken his career to new heights over fences, winning three of his four starts so far, including a determined success in heavy ground at this venue on his most recent outing.
He is on a handy racing weight with 10st 8lb on his back and looks sure to go well if his stamina does last out over this marathon trip.
All-weather fans can look forward to a quality card at Southwell, with Lord North the star attraction as he bids for back-to-back wins in the BetUK Winter Derby.
Victory in this Group Three contest proved a perfect stepping-stone for John and Thady Gosden’s top-class veteran as he went on to win his third Dubai Turf on World Cup night at Meydan next time.
He has not been seen in competitive action since that success 11 months ago and he is not getting any younger, but connections would surely not be bringing him back if he was not showing the fire still burns bright on the Newmarket gallops and he has plenty in hand on official ratings.
SELECTIONS:
CHELMSFORD: 5.20 Jungle Mac, 5.50 Profit Given, 6.20 Clipsham La Habana, 6.50 Night Of Desire, 7.20 Ultramarine, 7.50 Reverberation, 8.20 Boom Boom Pow.
CHEPSTOW: 1.23 Dasher, 1.58 Zambezi Fix, 2.33 Good Friday Fairy, 3.08 Monmiral, 3.43 Mount Tempest, 4.18 Twilight Glory, 4.53 Leech.
FAIRYHOUSE: 1.30 Ballycallan King, 2.03 Hey Whatever, 2.40 Whatcouldhavebeen,
3.15 Chosen Shant, 3.50 Vanillier, 4.25 Intense Raffles, 5.00 Jersey Des Brosses.
KEMPTON: 1.15 Get A Tonic, 1.50 KALIF DU BERLAIS (NAP), 2.27 Tahmuras, 3.00 Fiercely Proud, 3.37 Bowtogreatness, 4.10 Grandads Cottage, 4.45 Mythical Moon.
NEWCASTLE: 1.05 Big John Wayne, 1.38 Netywell, 2.08 Fenland Tiger, 2.50 Tineggiori, 3.27 Marown, 4.00 Baron De Midleton, 4.35 Chumlee.
SOUTHWELL: 2.45 Clarendon House, 3.20 Lord North, 3.55 Jenni, 4.30 Barenboim,5.05 Spartan Army, 5.35 Memories Maker, 6.05 Mr Swivell, 6.35 Eagle Day.
DOUBLE: Kalif Du Berlais and Fiercely Proud.