Favourite Hargam Looks To Take Juvenile Hurdle

Hargam is the current favourite to take home the Juvenile Hurdle for four-year-olds at tomorrow`s Grand National festival. The JP McManus-owned mount is available at the best price of evens at bet365 and other bookmakers to follow in the footsteps of former winners Zarkander (2011), Grumeti (2012) and Guitar Pete (2014) and secure this 17f Grade One.

Something of a Cheltenham specialist, Hargam is going to Aintree off the back of his third place finish in the Festival`s 17f Triumph Hurdle. Nicky Henderson`s charge finished off a one, two, three for the Lambourn trainer in that race, completing five lengths behind winner Peace And Co and a neck off Top Notch. Prior to this admirable place at the Festival, Hargam sealed second place in a Grade Two trial at Cheltenham on his racecourse debut before earning himself another class two trial at the course and the Scottish Triumph Hurdle at Musselburgh.

This consistency and 50% strike rate will sure help the AP McCoy ridden favourite, the long forged partnership between horse and jockey another tick in another box. There shouldn`t be any concern about the good-to-sot conditions either with one of the horse`s two victories being achieved on such a surface.

Bristol De Mai is the next in the market, Nigel Twiston-Davies` second-favourite being available at 7/1 at all of bet365, Betvictor and Skybet.

Two of the horse`s three runs for the trainer have come over 16f, the Simon Munir mount so far being unable to live up to the potential shown on his debut victory in the Grade One Future Champions Novices` Hurdle at Chepstow. Ridden by Daryl Jacob, Bristol De Mai put six lengths between himself and second placed Karezak in testing conditions.

He is still too young to be put into any `Mudlark` category, especially as he showed further improvement over 18f when on good-to-soft last time out. Despite being the odds-on favourite for the Grade Two Kelso Hurdle, there was no shame in finishing three lengths behind the more experienced Glingerburn, 9lbs lighter or otherwise. John Ferguson`s Cape Cross-sired Devilment is also up for grabs at 7/1 (bet365, Betvictor, william hill). The former two-time flat winner will be looking to reverse the Triumph Hurdle form on Hargam, though will face a challenge after completing 10 lengths off tomorrow`s favourite when a distant fourth in that race.

Lacking the class of some of his other Triumph Hurdle rivals, that was undoubtedly a good finish for Devilment though any expectations suggesting that he might improve again here may well be misguided.

Prior to his Festival outing the Bloomfields charge romped home the four length winner in maiden hurdles at both Wetherby (class five) and Doncaster (class four), hardly the graded races that satisfied both the eventual winner of that race and Hargam.

Next in the betting is Karl Burke`s filly Intense Tango who receives an allowance of 7lbs here on accounts of her sex. The Burke mount will, however, have to find some to overturn the four lengths she finished behind Bristol De Mai in the Kelso Grade Two.

What this horse does have over her opposition tomorrow is experience of this course. The Cosy Seal Syndicate charge finished as the runner-up to Nyanza in Aintree`s Listed Fillies` Juvenile Hurdle back in December. That was her hurdles debut and should improve further to be in with a chance here. She can be picked up at 6/1 at bet365.

Otherwise, Potensis Bloodstock Limited run both Bouvreuil (14/1 - bet365, Betvictor, william hill) and All Yours (14/1 - Bet365) with the 25/1 outsider being Winner Massagot (25/1 - Bet365) for four-time race winner Alan King.

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08/04/2015     © Frixo 2024