3 minute read
With the nights drawing in, winter is almost here and jumps fans will have a feast of action to look forward to in the coming weeks, including Chepstow's seasonal highlight, the Coral Welsh Grand National.
Peter Bowen believes he has a potential player for marathon contest in Edmund Kean, with the trainer also responsible for Dark Glacier in a race for which a total of 67 entries were received.
Shotgun Paddy was installed as 8-1 favourite with the sponsors, with Edmund Kean available at a general 25-1.He will miss Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup with the Welsh National his major target, and Bowen thinks the seven-year-old is potentially well treated off a mark of 137. He said: "He's a good horse and as a second-season novice looks the right type for the race.
"He jumps, stays and goes on the ground, and he looks very well handicapped - he beat The Romford Pele giving him 7lb and that horse is now rated 150."
Of Dark Glacier, Bowen added: "He was disappointing at Haydock but came out of the race well and Chepstow is the plan."
The progressive Balbriggan, who registered a front-running victory in the Ladbrokes Troytown Chase at Navan last Sunday, has been given 10st 1lb for the Betfred Becher Chase, with the weights for the Aintree Grade 3 also announced on Wednesday.
Rocky Creek, who is set to run in the Hennessy, has top weight of 11st 12lb, while last season's winner Chance Du Roy and Mendip Express - the sponsor's other 10-1 co-favourites with Balbriggan - have 10st 11lb and 11st respectively.
Caid Du Berlais pipping Johns Spirit in the Paddy Power Gold Cup was one of the highlights of Cheltenham's Open meeting and the pair could renew rivalry at the track in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup next month.
The pair, who are no bigger than 8-1 for the pre-Christmas highlight, were among 32 entries, with Emma Lavelle responsible for 25-1 shot Edgardo Sol and Court In Motion, a general 16-1 chance.
She said: "I was delighted by Edgardo Sol's run in the Paddy Power but he just got bogged down in the soft ground. History suggests he is a lot better on better ground and I think there is a good race still in him.
"Court In Motion is a bit vice versa to Edgardo Sol because, if the ground came up very soft, then we would definitely have a look at running him."
Don't miss Tom Segal's ante-post advice for the Coral Welsh Grand National, only in Thursday's Racing Post or on our iPad edition from 8pm on Wednesday