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The handicapper reaction to events last week contains some surprises – well they surprised me!
Diamond Harry has been introduced to the chase rating at 158, a little lower than his current hurdle rating, but Bensalem is only on 143, a rise of 3lbs this week. Tazbar has been given an initial rating of 154, but the surprise to me is Burton Port, raised 10lbs for his win at Southwell to a mark of 158! In most stables that would make him a certain runner in the RSA Chase, but he presumably still only rated as the number three at Hendersons. That must surely be the highest rating ever awarded to a Southwell novice winner.
Tote Gold trophy winner Get Me Out Of here has been put up 15lbs to 150, the runner up Ronaldo Des Mottes up 9lbs to 151 and Manyriverstocross is up 3lbs to 138.
The Aon Chase has produced a revised rating of 152 for both Tricky Trickster (up 3lbs) and Niche Market (up 4lbs), which will look costly if either is narrowly beaten at Aintree.
One other potential Cheltenham contender, Silver Kate has been raised a further 9lbs for winning a Bangor novice hurdle, putting her on 145. Combined with the mare’s allowance, that would make her a serious contender for the 3M novice hurdle.
AP
Don’t know when the entries are but seeing as King has a history in the William Hill Chase with novices, Bensalem surely has to be of interest in that race off 143.
DJ,
Handicap entries close next Tuesday, with the ratings published on the following Tuesday those used for the festival handicaps. In an exception to the normal procedure, races run on Sunday Feb 28th will be included in the ratings published on March 2nd for horses entered at Cheltenham.
Feb 28th is therefore the date by which any novice must complete his three runs to qualify for a mark at the festival.
AP
Don’t know when the entries are but seeing as King has a history in the William Hill Chase with novices, Bensalem surely has to be of interest in that race off 143.
He has already stated that will be the route he takes, but you’d have to think its jumping needs to improve to get round Cheltenham and he’ll surely need a bit of cut too, you would have thought.
As for some of the other ratings, yards are being penalised more than the horses. Admittedly the Southwell novice is a fairly decent race, but given that Denman only got 161 for routing a RSA field, the handicappers are not taking any chances even this early.
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