Mostly Bob

It may have been a blessing in disguise that Mostly Bob fell early on in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton on Saturday as he is now a fresh horse going into the spring, and he may be under-rated on the back of this fall. The ground would likely have been too soft for him here anyway with the rain that was around in the morning as he is a genuine good ground horse.

He had previously looked good when hacking up at Doncaster in a novices’ handicap chase off 125 having finished a close second to Adams Island there the time before in a novices’ chase, that one being a staying chaser to note, particularly for next season.

He has now fallen twice in four runs over fences and that may well put people off him when he runs next, possibly at Cheltenham, possibly in the Kim Muir, but more likely in the Scottish National, a race in which he would be of particular interest off his current mark. He had looked a safe conveyance in both his runs at Doncaster and his fall here was probably down to the fact that he was left partially unsighted by Fistral Beach at the fence. Trainer Philip Hobbs had thought he was on a reasonable mark for this race, and he could get the chance to show that at Cheltenham, but the Scottish National is surely his main aim now. Novices traditionally have a good record in the Scottish National and his two runs at Doncaster, especially the first of them, proved that he stays three miles well, given how strongly he stayed on. While four miles is an unknown, it is for most horses, and he gives every indication he will stay. Doncaster is not dissimilar to Ayr, a relatively flat galloping left-handed track, and he will be of interest if he goes straight for the Scottish National now off his mark of 136. He was highly regarded as a bumper horse with Willie Mullins, when he won on his only start at Leopardstown on unsuitably soft ground, he has raced just four times over fences, and he remains an exciting prospect now on good ground.

26th February 2011

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