Ball O Malt looks tasty
The nine-year-old has already tasted success in both other facets of the winter game with a bumper win back in 2002, and a couple of successes over fences, most recently at
Uttoxeter in September.
He is the most experienced horse in the field, and the form of his recent outing at Market Rasen makes him a leading player.
Taking on some in-form sorts, he was held up for a long way but made swift progress when given some reign three from home and was finishing to better effect than anything else in a field much more competitive than the one he faces here.
Although the drop in trip is a slight concern on that evidence, he did win a two-mile chase here last December and should have enough to take this contest.
Those looking for a double at the North Yorkshire venue could be rewarded by siding with Comical Errors in the Ellerton Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.
Patrick Haslam’s gelding failed to produce anything of note on the level prior to his hurdling debut in September but he has quickly found his feet over obstacles.
Following a couple of placed efforts he raised his game to score over this trip at Musselburgh earlier this month and did so with much greater ease than the three-and-a-half-length winning margin suggested.
There should be more in the locker and, with his stable in form, he can make the short trip from Middleham a successful one.
Plumpton makes up the remainder of the National Hunt action for the day and Sangiovese makes plenty of appeal in the Cortaflex For Horses Novices’ Hurdle over two miles.
A useful performer on the Flat, he jumped well when keeping on for a good third on his hurdling debut in a similar event at Leicester recently and the six-year-old should know more about it on this occasion.
It could be worth supporting Scorchio in the closing Play Instant Win Games On ITVi Banded Stakes at Wolverhampton.
Bryan Smart’s charge had not been seen on the track since finishing tailed-off in a Stratford hurdle back in July 2004 but returned to the fray with a half-length success at this track earlier in the month.
He is almost certain to have come on for that run, and with this longer trip seemingly in his favour, he will surely go close.
