9th-Jul-2015

I expected that Jan Van Hoof would have been put in as clear favourite for this.  He is not a massive price, but 100/30 about him is a fair bit bigger than I thought would be available, and I am backing him at that.

Unraced as a juvenile, Richard Fahey’s horse progressed with each of his three runs last year as a three-year-old, finishing second in his first two maidens before winning impressively at Wolverhampton on his final run of the season.

He stepped forward again on his only run this term, when he ran out an impressive winner of a five-furlong handicap at Pontefract four weeks ago off a mark of 72.  The handicapper raised him 8lb for that to a mark of 80, but that should not be sufficient to prevent him going in again.  A mark of 80 should be well within his range.

The sharper track is a little bit of a worry, Pontefract is a stiff track and he won his maiden over six furlongs, but he should get a fast pace, and he should relish the uphill finish.  Newton’s Law sets a decent standard and Maljaa has lots of scope for progression, but Jan Van Hoof has achieved a decent standard already and he also has bundles of scope.  He should go close.

JAN VAN HOOF WON (ADV 100/30 [R4], SP 9/4)