A competitive heat and one where favourite BANDSMAN has enough question marks currently to be far from bombproof. If returning to full form and fitness would be a very warm order, so if you want a cheeky win saver, feel free. My concerns are both the drop in trip and also a crashing fall last time, which may have shaken a bit of confidence and left the horse well and truly bruised and battered. These are far from the easiest fences to jump.

 

Kings Wharf got a deserved win last time, a whopping 10lbs rise though seems excessive for such an exposed horse and although clearly a very big danger, one I'm happy to take on. Tanarpino likes to get on with it, but invariably needs a run or two, as do the Stables horses usually, but it's likely to set a genuine and positive gallop for the rest and could get a few out of their comfort zones early, bringing race fitness in to play.

 

TRONGATE is fit, runs off a nice mark, gets probably ideal trip and no Going concerns, looks very solid place material at least. I also like VICTORY ECHO and will have a tracker bet on that one. It's another prominent runner, will come on for seasonal debut where it obviously "blew up" after a bold run, and my only niggle is it doesn't expend too much early energy in a battle up front with Tanarpino, if they get the fractions right though, the benefit of the run, and this slight step back in trip, (the horse is a 3 mile P2P winner) might be ideal.