MARY REVELEY, just fifteen short of amassing a combined total of 2000 flat and jumps' winners, has the opportunity to edge ever closer to that magical figure via My Line (12.40), Overstrand (2.55), and Robbo (3.30) at Sandown this afternoon.
Mary has pledged to hand over the reins to her son Keith once the target has been reached and at the pace she is currently going it won't be too long before the inevitable transfer of power takes at their Lingdale-near-Saltburn base.
In the meantime further high-profile victories will not be allowed to go begging and of the fancied trio, Overstrand is just the type of young hurdler team Reveley are famous for producing.
Unbeaten in three starts, he was simply awesome when making mincemeat of his rivals at Carlisle recently. Admittedly Overstrand is taking a significant step up in grade for the William Handicap Hurdle, nonetheless the well-bred four-year-old is improving so incredibly fast that the sky literally is the limit for Mary's classy raider.
If ever there was a star stayer in the making it has to be Silver Knight (1.00), in with a great shout of picking up Wetherby's feature event, the £15,000 One Man Novices' Chase.
I was on hand to see Tim Easterby's big bulldozer of a five-year-old put in a near foot-perfect round when justifying massive market support at the last meeting. He really is an impressive stamp of a horse, rippling muscle Mike Tyson-style all over his formidable body.
Often this type of individual can be a clumsy jumper, not so Silver Knight, who generally gets from one side of his obstacles to the other with breath-taking ease.
Another suggestion for your shopping list is Super Nomad (2.00), who but for being down on his nose at the second last fence would surely have won on his reappearance at the track ten days ago.
Mick Easterby's gelding was tanking along at the time, however he forfeited oceans of ground by virtue of the blunder yet was beaten only two lengths into third spot by a couple of useful yardsticks, Sir Storm and Byron Lamb.
Age has proved no barrier to the 1999 Gold Cup hero See More Business, still strutting his stuff despite being within three weeks of his fourteenth birthday.
See More Business (2.10) has acquired virtual cult status in the west-county and if as anticipated he succeeds in winning the £40,000 John Hughes Rehearsal Chase for the second year in a row at Chepstow, many of his legions of fans will be reaching for their respective hankies.
In the preceding ladbrokes.com Handicap Hurdle I for one can't wait to hail the comeback of the mighty Double Honour (1.40).
Double Honour, such a great favourite when trained at Middleham by Mark Johnston, is proving every bit as effective over hurdles, prevailing in three of his five outings over timber.
So highly does trainer Philip Hobbs rate Double Honour he has openly talked about his charge as a candidate for the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham next March. Hobbs' is talking my kinda' language and nothing will stop me lumping on the dashing grey, especially as both the trip and easy ground are absolutely ideal.
Sad to report it is very mediocre action on the polytrack at Lingfield where Its Ecco Boy (11.55) and Sea Holly (1.25) are the only two suggestions.
Although Its Ecco Boy has been on the go since springtime, he's as hard as nails and is extremely well-handicapped on the sand compared to turf. He almost pulled off a big-priced nap selection for us at Wolverhampton and it would be churlish to desert him now.
Sea Holly is a gelding I've had my eye on for some months and it came as no surprise when he finally broke his duck at the course seven days ago.
George Margarson's three-year-old will be even more effective at today's slightly longer trip and with Keith Dalgleish again doing the steering no mistakes are expected in the Bet Direct Handicap.
As ever the last hurrah is reserved for Wolverhampton, the so-called "all-weather" venue which had to suffer the indignity of last Monday's fixture being washed away by heavy rain!
Backers will not have to wait long for my best bet of the evening, Danielle's Lad (7.00), who according to several sets of speed ratings is theoretically in a class of his own for the opening seven furlong Classified Stakes.
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