Lucky 15 Tips For Today

Dolos Dream shaped with a great deal of promise on her debut over this course, travelling strongly for much of the race before just lacking that final, hardened edge you normally see in more experienced rivals. That second-place finish was full of encouragement, as she handled the track well, settled into a smooth rhythm and showed enough speed to suggest she has the tools to win similar contests.

With that initial education in the bank, she should benefit from knowing what is required when the tempo lifts, and a return to familiar surroundings is another obvious plus. Her trainer often sees marked improvement from horses on their second run, and Dolos Dream fits that pattern perfectly. While Sound And Vision and Thankfully Simmy are respected threats on what they have shown, both may need to progress more than she does. Given her profile, this looks an ideal opportunity for her to go one better.

Ski Lodge has long carried the profile of a horse who would improve significantly for a switch to fences, and he now gets the chance to show it over a trip that plays directly to his strengths. His best form over hurdles came when stamina was properly tested, notably when he stayed on powerfully to score over three miles at Haydock in a race that has worked out well enough since. That effort underlined his ability to travel, jump and then keep galloping when others begin to tire.

Connections deliberately used a shorter race over hurdles on his comeback as a fitness-building run following issues that kept him off the track, and he shaped with lots of promise behind a warm favourite there. Back up in distance and tackling fences for the first time, he now has the platform to show what he can really do. With several of his rivals either unproven at the trip or returning from absences, Ski Lodge looks to have a major opportunity to make a winning chasing debut.

The recent course-and-distance handicap that many of these re-oppose from is the obvious starting point, and Paddy’s Day emerges as one of the most interesting horses to take from that race. He endured a messy passage when it mattered, meeting traffic at a crucial stage yet still managing to finish close enough to suggest he would have been right in the mix with a clearer run. That effort was also his first outing since August and his debut following wind surgery, so natural improvement is highly likely.

Paddy’s Day has always been much more effective on synthetic surfaces, boasting an impressive strike-rate on the all-weather and particularly at Newcastle, where the straight track and consistent surface clearly bring out the best in him. Now that he is race-fit and better off at the weights with a couple of key rivals, he looks poised to gain compensation. With a smoother trip through the race, he is very capable of turning the tables on those who finished ahead last time.

Kurasso Blue produced a highly encouraging first effort over fences at Thurles, travelling nicely in the main and staying on strongly once organised after a couple of novicey mistakes. Those errors were typical of a horse learning a new discipline rather than a sign of any underlying flaw, and the fact he finished his race off so well suggests he will be much sharper for the experience. His pedigree and previous form both point towards further improvement as distances increase and his jumping becomes more economical.

With his trainer and jockey operating in excellent form, he has the added advantage of representing a partnership that is placing its horses very astutely at present. The way he saw out the trip last time indicates that a strongly run race over a staying distance is exactly what he wants, and this contest looks to provide that. If he can tidy up his technique at a couple of fences, Kurasso Blue has every chance of proving too strong for his opposition.