Stick with Priors Dale
Emma Lavelle’s six-year-old was winning for the third time when proving far too smart for four rivals earlier this month, and while he faces a stiffer examination this time around, he is expected to prove hard to beat.
Although his six-length defeat of Idris represents a decent level of form, it was the way he jumped that particularly impressed onlookers and marked him out as one to follow.
He set out to make all the running and barely touched a twig, which suggests he will fly around the Sunbury venue and take a deal of catching if in the same mood.
Howard Johnson’s talented hurdler Akilak can open his account over fences in the Mitie Property Services Beginners’ Chase over two and a half miles at Sedgefield.
A Grade Two winner over timber as a novice, he ended last season with a couple of below-par efforts but showed plenty of promise on his chasing bow when runner-up at Carlisle earlier this month.
With that experience under his belt, the five-year-old is expected to make short work of his rivals here.
All-weather specialist Party Boss has failed to score since April last year but looks poised to strike again at Wolverhampton in the wbx.com Launching 25th November Conditions Stakes.
Clive Brittain’s Silver Patriarch colt won on his third start, scoring over seven furlongs on the fibresand at Southwell on his last outing of 2004.
He returned next season to rattle off five successive victories on the all-weather, scoring over trips from seven to nine furlongs at Lingfield and Wolverhampton.
Party Boss was subsequently found out in Listed and Group company and has never really shown his true potential on turf.
Even a return to the all-weather – first in Dubai and then back home – has failed to improve his strike-rate but there were signs three runs ago that he was on the way back.
He finished second to the highly-regarded Kilworth which showed he retains plenty of zest for the game.
Two efforts over seven furlongs since have been poor, but that trip may be on the sharp side now and his trainer could have found the ideal opportunity here.
Lady Bahia’s two summer wins at Hamilton and Musselburgh would suggest she is a better horse on turf but she is also fully effective on the all-weather.
She is expected to prove the point by grabbing gold in the wbx.com Launching 25th November Handicap. She was barely two lengths behind Mr Cellophane over course and distance this month and meets the winner on 6lb better terms.
