Market Rasen 2.10
Market Rasen 2.10 - Handicap Chase - 2 miles 5 1/2 Furlongs - Good - 16 run
This is a Course where races can be stolen off the front by any horse who can get in to a nice rhythm and jump well. The bend in to the bottom off the back straight can see many make a move too soon and the relatively short straight up the slight hill after turning in allows little time to make a really telling move. I think that's why form here rarely stands up anywhere else, other than similar tight right handed tracks like Aintree, Huntingdon and Ludlow.
This is a decent early season race, some "summer jumpers" some more traditional "winter jumpers".
The top of the market is dominated by LUCKOFTHEDRAW and Bandsman, Luckofthedraw won this last year when Bandsman fell early on. The Twiston-Davies horses have seemed to need a run so far this season but this horse has a quite staggering win record running fresh, indeed it only wins running fresh and that just gets it the nod over Bandsman who is a huge danger.
The Course and Distance winning More Bucks has to fire at some point soon, but rather backs up the fact that this is a quirky track where fortune can favour the brave and the Bowen yard continues to suffer from some sort of ailment. Buster Thomas from the Lavelle yard, like NT-D traditionally good at this time of the year is one that should not be far away and Never Been to Paris was impressive over Course and Distance last time.
The one at bigger odds though who best fits the Course profile is FIXED RATE. A few poor runs have stoked up the price but a return to the kind of form that saw it win off marks of 121 and 128, and best form right handed, make the declining mark now back to 130, look worth an each way punt.
TIP - Luckofthedraw / Tracker - Fixed Rate = late non runner/ More Bucks (reserve)