MALTON'S Malcolm Jefferson
could be in for a bumper pay-day
if both Elvis Returns and Overbranch
oblige at Newbury.
Conditions at the Berkshire
venue were absolutely desperate
yesterday, a point borne out by a
succession of slow-motion finishes
as legs turned to rubber in
the home straight.
Such extremes of going don't
suit many horses, however there
are always exceptions to the rule
and Overbranch (3.25) loves
nothing more than slopping
through the mud.
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Successful on all of her last
three outings, its was like a quagmire
when Overbranch posted
the second leg of that magnificent
hat-trick at Sedgefield in
January.
The hard-as-nails daughter of
top National Hunt sire, Overbury,
has done nothing but improve
all season and stands a
great chance in the valuable EBF
Mares' Only Final.
A little earlier in proceedings,
Jefferson and his ever-present
jockey, Fergus King, could well
spark a famous double via Elvis
Returns in the three-mile Handicap
Chase.
Malcolm must have been totally
gutted in Newcastle's Eider
Chase, because it looked for all
money that Elvis Returns would
win turning for home.
Sauntering around the final
bend Fergus seemed to have matters
in hand, only to be cruelly
cut down by the dramatic late
surge of David Pipe's Comply Or
Die.
Perhaps the four-miles-andone-
furlong at the Tyneside track
was simply a bridge too far for
Elvis Returns, in which case
today's drop back in trip should
be ideal.
Tony McCoy's return from injury
was made all the sweeter by
his scintillating Cheltenham
Festival triumph aboard Jonjo
O'Neill's Albertas Run.
Such is McCoy's insatiable appetite,
a win on John Dillon (1.50)
in the opening Juvenile Novices'
Handicap Hurdle would still give
him the same high-voltage adrenalin
kick.
No horse comes into the race in
better heart than John Dillon, a
winner of two of his last three
starts, latterly when edging out
John Forbes.
The losing John then paid
Patrick Haslam's gelding a big
compliment by scoring at Sedgefield
this week, underpinning the
tariff of what was a gritty performance.
From jumps to Flat, Best
Prospect (4.45) might well make
a smooth transition back to the
level by snapping up Doncaster's
ten-furlong handicap.
The Michael Dods-trained sixyear-
old was in decent fettle over
the sticks, but as far as prizemoney
goes, Best Prospect is
probably better off Flat racing.
The soft surface on the Town
Moor should, theoretically, be
ideal, plus the Denton raider is as
fit-as-flea having run over hurdles
just 14 days ago.
The one-mile Book Online
Handicap can go the way of Capable
Guest (2.00), who came
from another county to snatch
second-spot at Pontefract.
Mick Channon's representative
has the assistance of strongarm
Robert Winston, not a jockey
to be messed with once the
whips are flying.
Leading Bangor bet is
Lysander (4.05), a rock-solid option
to give a good account in the
puredarts.co.uk Handicap Chase
after stunning his rivals with a
clinical finish at Leicester in February.
The faster ground was then to
blame for the selection's downfall
when favourite on a visit to Lingfield,
a situation not likely to reoccur
after recent heavy rain in
North Wales.
Top-weight might not be sufficient
to stop Leo's Lucky Star
(5.15) in the tommydarts.co.uk
Handicap Hurdle.
Johnny Farrelly's mount has
been knocking at the door on his
most recent couple of starts,
promise which he seems certain
to convert into a winning opportunity.
Stratford's card is no great
shakes, but maybe a small investment
on Premiership (3.15)
will help foot the weekend shopping
bill.
Nine-times a previous winner
in his native France, it appeared
as if trainer Michael Scudamore
had acquired a dud judged by his
first few British outings.
Michael is one of the quiet men
of the game and they say the
meek shall inherit the earth, so
no-one should have been surprised
when Premiership hosed
in at Plumpton last Sunday.
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