2:10 Market Rasen – MARSH WREN
Ile De Jersey is likely to be very popular given her connections and the fact that she arrives here on the back of a 3-length win at Ludlow, but she is far from certain to appreciate this more galloping track or the soft ground. For that reason, MARSH WREN makes a lot of appeal on her 3rd start over hurdles. She won a Southwell bumper in March last year and after a respectable debut over hurdles at Leicester in November, took her form to a new level when finishing 2nd at Fontwell in December when last seen. The form of that race has worked out well, with the 3rd and 4th both winning on their next starts and the winner, Lady of the Night, has run well off a mark of 120. If able to repeat her Fontwell effort, she should go close in a race of this nature, especially as she has proven that she will handle the softer conditions.
2:45 Market Rasen – PETIT TONNERRE
It’s a small field and we are unlikely to get much of a price about PETIT TONNERRE, but he needed to be highlighted as his French hurdles form has worked out very well in hindsight and he looks to be a very exciting recruit for Jonjo O’Neill and JP McManus. He was last seen winning a decent 3-year-old hurdle at Compiegne in the autumn, form that was franked when the 3rd and 4th won on their next starts and an opening mark of 135 looks very fair based on that piece of form. He should have too much for his 2 rivals here and could be of interest if turned out quickly on the back of this in the coming weeks.
3:05 Taunton – Mulcahys Hill
He has been a frustrating horse to follow but there is a race in MULCAHYS HILL, and he can certainly be forgiven his last effort. He is now 19lbs below his last winning mark and seemed to have found improvement when dropped into a Class 4 contest for the first-time in 4 years at Doncaster. Having settled nicely under Conor O’Farrell he was making a sustained challenge when badly hampered at the 4th last which checked all his momentum. Allowed to coast home afterwards in his own time, he has got another 4lbs back from the handicapper and is weighted to make amends in the weakest contest he has raced in for some time.
