10:50am Saturday 6th February 2010
TAROTINO can banish a noshow at Cheltenham last time by claiming the Blue Square Handicap Chase at Doncaster.
A chaser of some potential from the red-hot Alan King yard, he looks to have crept under the radar ahead of the valuable handicap on Town Moor.
Now an eight-year-old, he rattled off a hat-trick last spring and shot up the handicap as a result.
That did not seem to bother his connections, though, as it meant he was guaranteed a run in the valuable races, with his primary assignment being the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
One thing this horse must have is a decent surface and King’s reservations about the going at Cheltenham in November were well founded.
Robert Thornton looked after him, though, and pulled him up pretty swiftly, so he did not have a bad experience.
With King again banging in the winners, this assured jumper can finally prove his worth.
There is Grade One action at Sandown, where Nicky Henderson’s Punchestowns looks unopposable in the toteswingers Challengers Novices’ Chase (registered as the Scilly Isles).
Second in the World Hurdle to Big Buck’s last March, he looks likely to be even better over fences and could go right to the very top.
One horse who may give Punchestowns something to think about at Cheltenham in the RSA Chase is Ian Williams’ Weird Al, who looks like being warm order for the totesport.com Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby.
Gordon Elliott’s long-term plan of sending Carlito Brigante to Musselburgh ahead of the Cheltenham Festival can pay off with victory at the Edinburgh track tomorrow.
The County Meath-based trainer has had the John Smith’s Scottish Triumph Hurdle Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle in mind since the Haafhd gelding burst on to the scene with victory over Alaivan at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.
Carlito Brigante is also a course-and-distance winner, having won for his previous owner-trainer Clare Macmahon in November, before being bought by the Gigginstown House Stud and promptly sent to Elliott.
The timing of this weekend’s contest fits in perfectly with the JCB Triumph Hurdle on March 19, for which he is already prominent in the ante-post betting.
Dar Es Salaam can put his experience of the track to good use when he lines up for the John Smith’s No Nonsense Novices’ Chase.
James Moffatt’s six-year-old got off the mark over fences at the first attempt over two-anda- half miles in November.
He gave the impression he would stay this extra half a mile as he only got on top in the closing stages.
Extreme Impact was tailed off in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow in December but he was dropped in class on his return to the Welsh venue last month and promptly opened his account when the subject of a gamble.
He could again take some hauling back in the Arundel Equine Hospital Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Fontwell.
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