Derawar Destined for a return to Glory

The Bicester and Whaddon chase stage their re-scheduled fixture at Dunthrop on Sunday 1st March 2009. A decent 7 race card with 129 entries should provide racegoers with a good afternoon's racing.

The opening Hunt Members race sees a small field of 8 entered, which looks a very open and tight affair with the likes of Marble Leader and Checked Shirt seemingly holding the best form chances, but with the unexposed Gleeson and a good win for Back to Ben Alder at Tweseldown recently any of these 4 could take the honours. Checked Shirt looked a nice sort at the end of last year with two good wins at Kingston Blount. I think he will probably just edge out his rivals here, but a good race looks on the cards.

A confined maiden over the shorter 2m 4f follows and this also looks a competitive race with plenty of unexposed horses. Frosty Spring is due a change of luck after running well at the previous Dunthrop meeting and should go very well dropped back in trip. I think he looks like the winner here and will probably have most to fear from Blue Rebel, Astrop Road and Uppertier.

The Ladies Open Race looks a great opportunity for Derawar to get back to winning ways. Derawar was a decent winner of the extended 3m 5f race at the track in January and put in a personal best performance when finishing 3rd behind Royal Auclair in a Hunter Chase last week. If over those exertions he should be able to take this. Angela Rucker is always to be feared in these types of races and has Blue Business and Petit Lord entered on this ocassion and whichever horse she chooses to ride will rate the main opposition to Derawar. Casalani, Goblet of Fire and Thematis are also decent performers on their day, so this looks like it could well be a decent race.

The Mens Open race entries have also produced some decent runners with Bowdens Lane, Wickford and Worship The Stars all contesting Hunter Chases in the last few weeks. It will be very difficult to pick between these 3 if they all turned up on the day. Worship the Stars put in a much improved performance last time out and can just get the upper hand on this ocassion. David Mansell also has the prospect of riding the unbeaten this season Top Benefit who is improving nicely and you could not discard him from the calculations. A really exciting race looks in prospect.

The open maiden has 33 runners entered and could be split on the day with a safety factor of just 18. This race is extremely open with the likes of Cracking Cliche, Landi Beau, Marsden Marksman, Misttori Belle, No John No and Present Love looking to have the race between them. I will stick my pin on the head of No John No in the hope he can put in a clear round this time and take the honours for Mr Manners, but this is an extremely open race and this is just a token choice.

The intermediate race looks a cracking event from the entries received, with nearly all the runners holding good chances. I think Absolutely Barking who ran well to finish second behind Top Benefit earlier in the season could have a good chance but with so many others looking to show lots more improvement he may have to settle for second best this time around. Just Talking from the inform Julie Houldey yard won at Chaddersley Corbett last week and is bound to go close here but might come up against another up and coming youngster in Supreme Royal. Supreme Royal was a very impressive winner at Dunthrop recently travelling extremely well throughout the race. This was Supreme Royal's first run of the season so he should be able to improve following that opening success of the season. Many others also hold good chances and an extremely exciting race looks in store.

The final race on the card looks quite tricky with only 11 runners entered. Grenfell who is also entered in the preceeding Intermediate race should go well following a return to winning form last week as should Reel Dancer who loves this track but usually needs a first run of the season to be shown at his best, with the likelihood of this race being cut up badly this should give a good opportunity for Sudden Arrival to get his head in front again. I think from the likely runners he could have most to fear from Royal Katidoki who showed some reasonable form last season and should improve following his first run of the season.

Please see the selections below.

Selections :

Race 1 - Checked Shirt (Marble Leader)
Race 2 - Frosty Spring (N.B.) (Blue Rebel)
Race 3 - Derawar (NAP) (Petit Lord)
Race 4 - Worship The Stars (Wickford)
Race 5 _ No John No (Present Love)
Race 6 - Supreme Royal (Just Talking)
Race 7 - Sudden Arrival(Royal Katidoki)




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