Baron on course to lift spirits

14 April 2012

One Gold Cup hopeful and a clutch of Grand National contenders top the bill in a BBC double-header from Lingfield and Haydock tomorrow.

Iris's Gift will command the spotlight as he makes his longawaited chasing debut at the Surrey track, but look north for a better value bet when Baron Windrush tackles Haydock's Red Square Vodka Gold Cup.

Thirteen face the starter for this £120,000 handicap, but it's very hard to know what to expect from some of them.

Take Chives, for example. He's very good on his day, as he showed when winning the Tommy Whittle Chase here in December, but he ran as if a gruelling race in the Welsh National had left a mark last time and has something to prove now.

The same applies to L'Aventure, Merchants Friend and Maximize, who all look moody nowadays, while stamina is a major concern for the dual Aintree winner Forest Gunner as he returns from a break.

Truckers Tavern looks a stronger stayer and goes well at Haydock, while Too Forward and Control Man have both been progressing well in novice company, but it's hard to escape the conclusion that Baron Windrush is well worth his place at the top of the market.

Nigel Twiston-Davies collected this prize with another novice in Frantic Tan four years ago and Baron Windrush has just as much to recommend him.

He's clearly less exposed than most of this field after just five completed starts over fences, and it's already clear that he will relish this real type of stamina test.

Furthermore, Baron Windrush lines up on the back of a most impressive performance in a similarly valuable handicap at Warwick last month.

A switch to waiting tactics clearly suited him there, and it was clear as he scythed through the field fully a mile out that he was moving much more sweetly than most.

The wellhandicapped course specialist D'Argent proved a willing rival from the home turn, but Baron Windrush was firmly on top close home as the pair drew well clear of a chasing pack headed by Double Honour and the French raider Kelami.

Double Honour, Kelami and L'Aventure all reoppose with healthy weight pulls tomorrow, but Baron Windrush can prove too strong for all of them.

After a seven-week shutdown due to illness at Jackdaws Castle it's good to see Jonjo O'Neill coming out of hibernation, and bookmakers face a real headache in pricing up Iris's Gift for the £100,000 totesport Chase at Lingfield.

On one hand, the massive grey proved himself one of the best staying hurdlers seen in many a year when toppling Baracouda in last year's Stayers' Hurdle and has the physique to climb equally high over fences. But on the other, Iris's Gift has suffered an injury since he was last seen and, although he's plainly schooled very well at home, tackling seasoned Grade 1 chasers first time out over fences is a brave call by any standards.

Only a very bold show will do if hopes of a Gold Cup bid are to be realistic, but the long and the short is that Iris's Gift has to record an exceptionally high figure for a chasing debutant in order to win.

Ollie Magern's free-wheeling style will certainly put his jumping technique to the test, while Seebald and Murphy's Cardinal have both run well in high-class company this season.

However, Hand Inn Hand looks the bet. Henry Daly's gelding put up the performance of his life to win this race when it was run at Ascot 12 months ago.

Things haven't gone smoothly this season, but Hand Inn Hand wasn't at all knocked about at Haydock last time and has conditions to suit as he bids to get his campaign back on track.

Tips for tomorrow's feature races Haydock Park: 2.25 Baron Windrush Lingfield Park: 2.10 Hand In Hand

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