1:40 – Pens Man 7/2
Purchased for £82k after winning a point-to-point (the form of which has a solid look to it), Pens Man showed glimpses of quality last season but I expect him to be seen in a much better light now he’s eligible for handicaps.
He shaped nicely on his debut for the yard in a competitive bumper, eventually finishing 4th; the winner, Confirmation Bias, is held in high regard while the 2nd and 3rd (Sizable Sam and Mont Segur) both won on their next start. While he was beaten 10 lengths, he was close up to the principles for the majority of the contest and only faded inside the final furlong.
Quickly sent over hurdles, Pens Man was pitched into some strong races. Held up in all three starts over timber to date, he shaped well on a couple of occasions without ever threatening the principles. Weak in the market on all four starts last term, I’m of the opinion that he’ll be a much better horse now he’s had some time to strengthen up; he’s a large horse and Jonjo is reportedly very fond of him.
Jonjo O’Neill has a great record with handicap debutants (27% SR) and I would be disappointed if Pens Man can’t prove better than a mark of 101. It’s worth noting that he ran four times in 54 days last season so I imagine that the plan was always to get him handicapped before giving him time to mature.
Compadre currently heads the market but he’s a much better over fences, while Shantou Sunset might find life tougher having been raised 9lbs for her recent handicap success.
overandclear.com 