15th-Jan-2011

West End Rocker was most impressive in winning a good handicap chase at Newbury last month. He jumped and travelled well, and he could have been named as the most likely winner from the top of the home straight. He did only have a length and a quarter in hand of Cornish Sett in the end, but you got the feeling that he was idling on the run-in, he had been in front from the fourth last, and he won with plenty in hand. I thought that the handicapper was lenient in giving him just 4lb.

A progressive staying novice chaser two seasons ago, he was out of sorts last season, but so were a lot of the Alan King horses, and it could mean that he is well handicapped coming into this season. There is almost certainly more improvement in him, and the fact that he ran well to finish second to Shining Gale in a novices’ chase on his only previous run at Warwick is well in his favour. The step up in trip should not cause him too much trouble. The ground is a bit of a worry, it could be very testing at Warwick today, but he does handle soft ground and, at the price, the chance on very soft ground is worth taking.

WEST END ROCKER WON (SP 10/1)