Marinero can make winning debut over fences
The Tony Martin-trained gelding developed into a very useful hurdler last season, a campaign which began when he inflicted the sole defeat to date to the very promising Long Dog.
He was far from disgraced when third behind Douvan on his first try in graded company and, despite having had a slipped saddle, was still very much in the mix when falling at the last in a Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle at Aintree on his penultimate start.
He had his sights lowered for his final outing of the season, at Down Royal, and duly obliged with the minimum of fuss. There may well have been more to come from him over hurdles, but he has long been touted as a chaser in the making, and today is the day he can begin to deliver on that promise.
The obvious danger is Noble Endeavor, who was just touched off in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham. He, too, looks likely to prove better over fences, but today’s trip and the expected decent ground may not provide enough of a test for him.
Marinero’s owner, Gigginstown House Stud, has strong claims in the opener with the very promising Cogryhill, and also in the bumper with Tombstone.
Trainer Karl Thornton is enjoying a fine run, and his Bearly Legal can take advantage of a favourable mark over hurdles in the Allianz Handicap. The nine-year-old was a winner on his last run over timber, in November of last year, and has since enjoyed a fine spell over fences.
He is officially 18lbs lower over hurdles than over fences and, despite top weight, should take a great deal of beating. Baroque Style is the obvious danger, having run so well on his only start for Gordon Elliott. With improvement likely, he should be heavily involved.
At Dundalk Kalidabad can take the Median Auction Maiden for trainer Michael Halford. The colt has had three runs, the most recent of which was his best to date. On that occasion, he finished a close fifth behind General Macarthur, with subsequent Group 3 winner Blue De Vega in third. If the return to this surface prompts a little further improvement, he will be hard to beat.
