3:20 – Smiths Cross 9/1
With Michael Scudamore continuing in good form (3 wins and 3 placed from 14 runners in the last 2 weeks) and with the drop back in trip looking to suit, Smiths Cross looks to hold a good chance here.
He made an encouraging reappearance over hurdles when 2nd to the useful Shinobi (won again since) over 2m4f, and he showed up well in a handicap for a long way LTO before appearing to tire on the run to the 2nd last.
Dropped 3lbs for that run, he now lurks on a dangerous mark; you only have to go back to this time last year when he was finishing 3rd (only beaten 2.5 lengths) behind King of May, who’s won again since, with the Grade 1 winner, Esprit Du Large, back in 2nd. Smiths Cross is now 10lbs lower in the weights. While he failed to build on that, he has been trying trips north of 2m4f which I don’t think suit him.
Michael Scudamore has a 20% S/R at Wetherby (A/E 1.1) and that improved to 27% when looking solely at handicap chases (A/E 1.21), and Smiths Cross makes the 6 hour round trip as his yards only runner on the card and he’s Brendan Powell’s only ride of the day.
The first time blinkers will need to have an effect, but he’s still low mileage and he’s well handicapped if putting it all together. He’s likely to go from the front and this sharper test looks like it’ll suit.
overandclear.com 