Worcester 3.40
Worcester 3.40 1 Lady Of Longstone @ 11/1 / 4 Bitter Virtue @ 16/1 (1/2 point e/w each - odds to 4th)
THE ADVISOR - a lot in here are not totally proven at the trip of 20 furlongs, there are undoubtedly some with promise to
benefit from a step up in trip, but also a few who look very well weighted after a number of below par runs. The Going will
be a mystery until we see the effect of the watering and the high winds, but I narrowed the selection down to 3 and with a
chance of non runners, I will mention all 3 as there are odds to 4th place.
LADY OF LONGSTONE looks thrown in off even 90% of its capabilities off this mark. It won in fine style over this kind of
trip in better company at Haydock in March last year on Good ground off a mark of 123. It has been more highly tried in
terms of Class since and also tried over considerably further. It usually races prominently and then fades at the business
end, but that has tended to be over trips of/around 3 miles. I envisage it will love the return to 2 and a half miles; can run
near the pace to cover anything that tries to slip the field, and provided they get the fractions right a mark of 105, less a
decent Claimers 5lbs Claim, looks excellent value at 11/1 with odds to 4th place. Encouraging too that a yard you normally
see fire around the Open Meeting at Cheltenham in November, had a nice winner at Exeter last week, and this horse is FIT!
I am also keen on BITTER VIRTUE trained very locally by David Dennis, another who has disappointed at times but cast an
eye back to a fine win over just short of this trip at Stratford last season off a mark of 94, and the booking of Brian Hughes catches
the eye, as this outstanding horseman has the ability to coax the horse round and deliver it to perfection. That just gets the nod
over GI JAYNE from the Skelton yard with Bridget Andrews up, the pairing delivered us a nice winner at Ludlow last week
and this one although totally unexposed has one bit of very interesting Point 2 Point form, over 3 miles in Ireland and may
just appreciate this test, especially with front runners like Rif Raftou in the field. I also fear Our Philie Lily and Princess Roania
as sleepers who could revive but suggest the main bet on LADY OF LONGSTONE and BITTER VIRTUE with a small saver
on GI JAYNE to give us a decent chance in what is really the only beg field Handicap over Jumps today.