Ciceron capable of defying penalty
Venetia Williams’ five-year-old finished last season with a real flourish, winning three on the bounce, and is seemingly returning to a similarly rich vein of form.
Ciceron began the year with a highly accomplished course and distance triumph, in which he kept at bay a number of useful sorts, including Karasenir and Tito Bustillo.
Although he has gone up 9lb for that head verdict, he clearly enjoys himself hunting around Taunton and has the scope to defy a career-high mark, despite the strong-looking nature of the competition.
Normally also showed up well at this track on his last start and looks the solution to the tauntonracecourse.co.uk Handicap Hurdle.
John Flint’s seven-year-old was backed into 4-1 favouritism on his first start for 455 days and stayed on strongly to take third.
Competing off the same mark here, he should have improved no end for that outing and will take some hauling back in what looks a moderate encounter.
Best bet on a moderate Wetherby card could be Pacco, who goes for gold in the Yorkshire Post Ladies Day – 19th May Handicap Chase.
Oliver Sherwood’s hardy eight-year-old revelled in the Folkestone mud on his most recent outing when claiming a decent handicap by seven lengths.
The form also looks strong, with the runner-up that day, Rateable Value, having since fared with credit at Chepstow.
Given his current well-being, an 8lb penalty for this assignment may not be the end of the world.
Reachforthebucks can maintain his steady ascent when he returns for another slice of the big time at Southwell.
Undistinguished in his salad years for Gavin Blake, he was a different proposition on his first start for Michael Wigham.
The son of Phoenix Reach was last Thursday supported as if defeat was unthinkable on his first try in handicap company. And so it proved, as Reachforthebucks set alight a humdrum fixture with a truly authoritative display over this course and distance.
He was value for a great deal more than that two-and-a-half-length winning margin and while a step up in class is surely forthcoming, a 6lb penalty is unlikely to stifle further progress in the Golf And Racing At Southwell Handicap.
