22nd-Oct-2016

I am backing old friend Coologue in this.  I think that he is over-priced at 8/1.

Charlie Longsdon’s horse was a nicely progressive young chaser last season.  He ran a big race to finish second to Southfield Royale in a Grade 2 novices’ chase at Doncaster in December, and then he ran a cracker to finish a close-up second behind Ziga Boy in the Sky Bet Chase back at Doncaster on better ground in January when we had him on side.

His season tailed off a little after that, it was disappointing that he couldn’t win a three-horse race back at Doncaster in March, for all that it was over an inadequate two miles and three furlongs, and he was pulled up on his final run at Aintree.

But now could be the time to catch him.  He won at Bangor on his seasonal debut last year, and he finished second on his two previous seasonal debuts, including on his racing debut in a point-to-point.  He is only seven and he has raced just six times over fences, so he still has scope for progression.  He has the potential to go a fair way beyond his current rating of 140.

He has never run at Cheltenham, but he has run well at Uttoxeter, which is undulating and left-handed, and he stays three miles well.  Also, trainer Charlie Longsdon has his horses in good form, he has had four winners from 11 runners this week, including Midnight Shot, who battled on well to win at Cheltenham yesterday.

Cogry is interesting, but this is surely too sharp for him on good ground, for all that his cheekpieces may be a signal of intent, and Full Shift would be very interesting if he could re-capture last season’s best form.  But he is risky for now, and Coologue is the bet.

COOLOGUE WON (ADV 8/1, SP 8/1)