25th-Feb-2023

You have to respect Cap Du Nord in the Coral Trophy, he won the race last year and he was good last week in winning at Ascot.  However, he is 8lb higher than he was last year, this is a better race than last year’s race, and he had a hard race at Ascot last week.  And he is short.

I prefer Our Power.  Sam Thomas’ horse was third in the race last year, he has eight lengths to find with Cap Du Nord, but he is 3lb better off with him.  More importantly though, he was racing over three miles for the first time in this race last year, and he was ridden conservatively.  He got into traffic at the top of the home straight, he lost his place and he lost momentum, before staying on again over the last two fences, finishing off his race well despite stumbling on landing over the last.

He was good at Ascot on his debut this season, he stayed on well to get the better of Danny Kirwan and Tea Clipper, with the three of them finishing clear, and he has good form at Kempton, he won a really competitive handicap hurdle on the Saturday after Cheltenham there last year.

He is 5lb higher now than he was for his Ascot win, but he is progressive, he has raced just seven times over fences, and he is unexposed at this stayer’s trip.  And he will have the excellent Sam Twiston-Davies for company.  Frodon and Annsam were also on my shortlist, but Our Power is the bet.

OUR POWER WON (ADV 13/2, SP 11/2)