Lavorante ticks enough boxes and expected to continue a good recent spell for trainer Gary Moore when his son Jamie partners the lightly-raced Milan gelding in a Maiden Hurdle over two miles of ‘good to soft’ Sandown today; given quality usually on display at the Esher venue this smacks of a ‘shallow’ race which could well bring profit at decent odds.
It’s 232 days since Lavorante made his hurdling debut around Fontwell where he achieved a half-decent time-handicap mark when third to heavily-backed favourites Sambesi and Forever Des Long; a loose horse hampered my selection at the sixth, he dropped back as a consequence but rallied in the closing stages to grab third spot, beaten about six lengths, which represented a sterling effort.
My modus operandi is all about nominating/backing horses which meet solid criteria and Lavorante needs only to replicate that hurdling debut on the back of two promising ‘bumper’ outings to make the frame. Nowadays lengthy absence isn’t at issue, especially with major training establishments; Moore steers a solid ship in the right direction, into winners’ enclosures!
Both Nicky Henderson-trained Blairgowrie and Bombs Away, from Olly Murphy’s in-form yard, are bound to collar plenty of support but neither has jumped in NH races and, hopefully, such experience will enable Lavorante to prevail and kick off my trixie, 3 doubles and a treble..
Bumpers, NH flat races, became a regular source of revenue last season, already I’m aware they are littered with late-developing, slow types and process of elimination isn’t difficult; I’ll be surprised and disappointed if Buckhorn Rocco, a creditable fifth around Wincanton thirty-six weeks ago, isn’t ‘on the premises’ and challenging Warwick winner Revasser in the closing stages
Running in tandem will be a ‘soft’ six-race Ffos Las programme which includes an eight-runner Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles, a gift for The Grand Visir, fifth to prolific Uno Mas in a handicap at Aintree a fortnight ago; that’ll do!
The rug was pulled from under us at Newcastle on Saturday when a ‘deep compaction’ process made the Tapeta surface decidedly slow into a headwind; prior notice would have been helpful!
Keep laying those short-priced Premier League favourites, Chelsea was a ‘beaut’ yesterday!!!
Selections, Sandown, 1.35 Lavorante (e.w); 3.45 Buckhorn Rocco (e.w); Ffos Las, 2.30 The Grand Visiir.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019