Timeform Daily: Totesport Trophy, Saturday, Newbury 15:35

Race of the Day / Timeform / 11 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Soldatino: Can the Triumph winner add another valuable prize to his portfolio?

"French import Solix was heavily backed ante-post, but a mark of 152 surely leaves him up against it and stablemate Soldatino makes greater appeal after a promising first run of the season at Ascot."

Timeform go through the field for the season's most valuable handicap hurdle...

Solix boasts smart form in France for Guy Cherel, landing a 19f Grade 3 at Auteuil in October. He ran creditably in a Grade 1 next time and has been the subject of strong support for this, but seemingly has plenty on at the weights.

Salden Licht took very well to hurdling last season. He has since proved himself better than ever on the Flat, and continued his progress in this sphere with an authoritative win at Exeter last month. There is plenty more to come from him yet.

Ronaldo des Mottes's only two flops have been at Cheltenham, and there was nothing wrong with his effort in this race last year when finding only Get Me Out of Here too good. A 10-month absence is no real concern but he is 9 lb higher this time.

Get Me Out of Here made tremendous progress last season, completing a 5-timer in this race prior to finding only Menorah too good in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He has made a low-key start to this campaign though, and the assessor is not relenting.

Nearby was one of the most progressive handicap hurdlers of last year, completing a quick-fire hat-trick in the autumn. He is better than his run in a Grade 1 over C&D last time suggests, but has probably done his winning for now.

Walkon lost just twice during a fine 2008/9 campaign, winning a Grade 1 at Aintree on his final start. He suffered a tendon injury after, but all his ability remains intact judged on his first run back at Ascot and he looks well treated.

Soldatino burst onto the scene in no uncertain manner last season, completing a hat-trick in the Triumph at the Festival. He shaped much better than the bare result behind Walkon on his return (weak in betting) and will be spot on now.

Eradticate is very useful on the Flat and over hurdles, winning the valuable Swinton Hurdle at Haydock in May. Hen had o real excuses off this mark at Cheltenham last month though, and his trainer saddles more interesting runners.

Notus de la Tour is an Ex-French gelding whose second in last season's Fred Winter turned out to be strong form. He shaped encouragingly at Ascot behind a couple of these on reappearance last month, and the return to is 2m no bad thing.

The Betchworth Kid is just as good over hurdles as on the Flat, running his best race so far over timber when fourth to Tocca Ferro in the Gerry Feilden over C&D in November. He was let down by his jumping last time though, and should be suited by further.

Final Approach showed no signs of inexperience when landing a valuable 2m handicap at Leopardstown on just his fourth start over hurdles. He is in excellent hands and has more improvement to come, so is not one to dismiss lightly.

Bothy is useful on the Flat and took well to hurdling last season, winning three times. He made further progress when runner-up to Menorah in the Greatwood Hurdle, and his chance would be enhanced by rain.

Palomar is a free-going sort who has got his act together since joining his current yard, winning on the Flat, in a Market Rasen handicap and a jumpers' bumper. He was a really good third at Kempton last time, but is still higher in weights here.

Zanir won at Leicester in 2009/10 and has usually run creditably since, including when fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, but is no battler and this is ultra competitive.

Recession Proof is useful on the Flat and is already of similar merit over hurdles after just three runs, winning twice. He was also successful also in a jumpers' bumper when last seen in December, but this a totally different test.

Tiger O'Toole produced easily a career-best when beating Walkon (as well as a handful of others in this race) at Ascot last month. Things rather fell apart around him there though and a few can be expected to reverse the form.

Tarkari won three times for Willie Mullins in 2009/10, and has been a rare improver for leaving his stable, running as well as could be expected in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last week. He is not necessarily handicapped out of things.

Sweet My Lord boasts a similar profile to stablemate Final Approach in that he's still lightly raced over hurdles, successful on two of three completed starts. There must be a good chance there's more to come in handicaps.

Washington Irving is a one-time smart Flat performer who shaped better than the result in a 2½m Aintree handicap on his reappearance in November, when not given hard time. This an altogether more demanding task, however.

Iolith is an ex-German gelding who ran to a useful level on the Flat, winning three times. He has been suited by a test of speed when winning twice in novice hurdles, and seems sure to leave that bare form behind in handicaps.

Drill Sergeant is useful on the Flat (stays 2m) and has won two of his five starts over hurdles, despite signs of temperament. He shaped better than the bare result in a good handicap last time, and drops back in trip.

Rebel Dancer was a Flat winner in France and his career is now taking off over hurdles, winning on debut for his current yard at Huntingdon in August. He was an excellent second over C&D in November, and is just 2 lb higher this time.

Sircozy made a winning start to his hurdling career and has showed better form in defeat since, but was let down by jumping in ordinary handicap last month, and it's hard to see him taking a hand from out the weights.

Timeform 1-2-3:
1. Soldatino
2. Walkon
3. Salden Licht

Timeform View: French import Solix was heavily backed ante-post, but a mark of 152 surely leaves him up against it and stablemate Soldatino makes greater appeal after a promising first run of the season at Ascot. The Alan King-pair Walkon and Salden Licht are other notable contenders, with Bothy looking the pick of those at longer odds, especially if conditions deteriorate.

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Totesport Trophy Betting: Soldatino to triumph for in-form Henderson

Tipping / Stuart Jones / 08 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Triumph hurdle winner Soldatino looks the pick of Nicky Henderson's trio in this Saturday's totesport Trophy

"Salden Licht was better than ever on the Flat during the autumn and mirrored that progress when returned to hurdles at Exeter on New Year’s Day".

Just two favourites (the well-backed Essex in 2005 and Landing Light in 2001) have obliged in the last ten renewals of the totesport Trophy, perhaps not unsurprisingly given the typically high quality field and competitive nature of what is the richest handicap hurdle of the season, but Timeform's Stuart Jones reckons it's not worth looking far beyond the market leaders this year...

Nicky Henderson has an excellent record in the race and has been responsible for four of the last eleven winners, most recently when Geos took the 2004 renewal. Henderson's gung-ho approach towards the contest is nothing new and the Seven Barrows trainer has three entries at this stage.

The ex-French gelding Solix is the most prominent in the market of Henderson's trio, despite being a tricky one to assess. Capable of smart form over hurdles for Guy Cherel in France, Solix beat Bel la Vie in a Grade 3 hurdle at Auteuil prior to finishing a creditable fourth behind that rival in a Grade 1 contest there in November. He's undoubtedly an interesting recruit for connections, but he hardly looks thrown in from a mark of 152 and better value looks to be had elsewhere.

The most interesting of Henderson's entries, from a betting point of view, anyway, is last year's Triumph Hurdle winner Soldatino. Unbeaten on all three starts as a juvenile, he made an eye-catching return from ten months off when sixth to Tiger O'Toole at Ascot last month, travelling powerfully until the lack of a recent outing told. Soldatino remains open to improvement and appeals as the one most likely to add to his trainer's excellent record here.

Alan King is a trainer very much back on the up and also looks set to go into the race mob-handed, with Walkon, Iolith, Salden Licht and The Betchworth Kid all amongst the five-day entries.

Walkon was a very smart juvenile in 2008/9, runner-up to Zaynar in the Triumph before winning a Grade 1 Hurdle at Aintree, and showed all that old ability was intact when runner-up in that race won by Tiger O'Toole at Ascot. However, he's always shaped as if he'd be ideally suited by two and a half miles, and he may well prove vulnerable to speedier types back at the minimum trip.

Salden Licht is the least exposed of King's quartet and his profile is not all that dissimilar to Manyriverstocross, who finished third in the corresponding event for the same yard last season. Salden Licht was better than ever on the Flat during the autumn and mirrored that progress when returned to hurdles at Exeter on New Year's Day, always travelling powerfully and just nudged out to beat Sir Kezbaah by a length and a half. That form has held up well subsequently and Salden Licht makes more appeal than his shorter-priced stablemate.

Get Me Out of Here took his unbeaten run over hurdles to five when beating Ronaldo des Mottes in the corresponding event last term and met with defeat for the first time when beaten narrowly by Menorah in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham next time. Jonjo O'Neill's representative hasn't been in quite the same form on either start this season, however, pulling too hard when sixth to that same rival in the Greatwood last time, and others look more solid betting propositions for the time being.

Bothy progressed well in novice company last term, winning his first three starts over hurdles, and he took a big step forward on his return when just touched off by Menorah in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham (receiving 24 lb). Bothy's latest run in a bumper is probably best ignored, and he's one of the likelier candidates, especially if the ground came up testing.

John Quinn's Recession Proof won two of his three starts in novice company, finding only the very useful Dunraven Strom too strong at Ascot. He also created a good impression when successful in a jumpers' bumper at Southwell in late-December, but it's a big ask to expect him to make an impact at this level from an opening mark of 134.

Final Approach led home a 1-2 for Willie Mullins in this year's renewal of the valuable MCR Hurdle (formerly the Pierse) at Leopardstown. Owned by the managing director of the race sponsor, the well-backed Final Approach quickened up smartly to beat Call the Police by two lengths. Although still unexposed over timber, Final Approach will need to improve plenty if he's to defy a mark 16 lb higher.

Sweet My Lord is another lightly-raced raced performer representing the Mullins yard, and after just three completed outings (fell on two of first three outings) he surely remains open to further improvement. His jumping shouldn't be a problem - if anything it looked an asset when winning easily at Limerick last time - and he certainly deserves to take his chance at this level.

Recommendations

Back Soldatino @ [13.0] and Salden Licht @ [10.0] to win the totesport Trophy at Newbury.

Just two favourites (the well-backed Essex in 2005 and Landing Light in 2001) have obliged in the last ten renewals of the totesport Trophy, perhaps not unsurprisingly given the typically high quality field and competitive nature of what is the richest handicap hurdle of the season, but Timeform's Stuart Jones reckons it's not worth looking far beyond the market leaders this year......

Timeform handicapper Gregg Taylor analyses the performances of three winners from Saturday who are all set to be seen next on the opening day of the Festival......

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