Newmarket stages a quality flat card on Saturday but jumps fans will have their eyes firmly on Wetherby and Ascot, where the feature race is the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase (3.40).
As it should be for the money, the race is ultra competitive and the openness is reflected in the betting with bookmakers going 7/1 'the field'. Last year's winner, The Last Derby, provided a 33/1 shock and it would be foolish to rule out any of the 13 runners but one horse I'm expecting to run well is MASSINI'S MAGUIRE, who is having his first start for trainer David Pipe.
The nine-year-old was a game winner of the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle back in March 2007 for trainer Philip Hobbs and made the perfect start to his chasing career when winning a Beginners' Chase here the following autumn. However, he never quite lived up to his hurdling form in five subsequent chase starts and hasn't been seen since finishing third of five in the Mandarin Chase at Newbury last December.
The comments for that race read: "mistakes, tracked leading pair, hit 4th and next, mistakes 7th and 11th, blundered 12th, ridden 4 out, soon struggling", which says it all really. He's never been the best of jumpers and will not win this race unless he puts in a clear round. However, there are grounds for thinking he is about to put in a career-best performance over fences.
For one, he's making his debut for a yard that is adept at improving horses switched from other trainers. David's father and assistant Martin was a genius in that respect and rattled off a hat-trick in this race at the start of the century. Pipe Jnr. has yet to win this race but he has quickly established himself as a trainer who can 'get one ready' for a big race and his recent comments about the horse in a trainer file interview suggests he may have ironed out his problems:
"He's doing a lot of work in our loose school, which is priceless for teaching horse to jump well, and the only time he has schooled on grass, Tom Scu[damore] was delighted with him. If you didn't know his history, to watch him you wouldn't know there's been a problem."
Like I said, this is a competitive race and you have to give a healthy respect to Take The Breeze (7/1 Paddy Power), trained by the in-form Paul Nicholls, and the race-fit Dover's Hill (10/1 bet365), who could prove troublesome off his light weight, but I'm expecting Massini's Maguire to finally fulfil his potential this season and he get off to a winning start here at what looks a fair 7/1 with bet365 and Stan James.
Recommended Bet:
Massini's Maguire 2pts @ 7/1 bet365, Stan James
