Strada holds major chance
He ran a smashing race over hurdles on his latest start at Cheltenham when he finished a running-on seventh in the hotly-contested Coral Cup at the Festival and trainer Philip Hobbs clearly has the six-year-old in good heart.
His previous outing had been over fences at Leicester in November when he won a novice event with plenty in hand, jumping well in the process to confirm the decent impression he had made when meeting a couple of useful types on his first two chase starts.
Good ground today will be ideal for the Rainbow Quest gelding.
Hobbs also had Cameron Bridge in the Isle Of Skye Blended Whisky/Kelso Novices’ Chase but has opted to side with Bow Strada and so should punters.
A bad blunder at the final flight cost Jarro dear at Sandown but compensation awaits the Venetia Williams-trained gelding in the Dusty Miller Handicap Chase.
Having led for a long way he was agonisingly caught a few strides from the line by Heavenly Stride, to whom he was giving the best part of a stone.
Jarro got stuck in the mud at Chepstow on his previous start but the time before had run out a good winner from L’Epicurien at Uttoxeter and looks capable of defying what would be a career-high winning mark.
Anatar has shot up the weights this season after running up a sequence for Martin Pipe but is another who belied huge odds to run with credit in the Coral Cup.
A reproduction of his 10th in the Cheltenham race must make the Caerleon gelding hard to beat in the Royal Ascot Cricket Club Hurdle (Showcase Handicap).
