Sport

Alary to make waves at Haydock

ALARY can live up to the hype by winning the Peter Marsh Chase on a cracking card at Haydock.

All eyes at the Merseyside circuit will be on THE Gold Cup ‘talking horse’, who makes his British debut amid much fanfare

. Now owned by Alan and Ann Potts, the highly-regarded French recruit was twice placed in Grade One company last year, including in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.

Alary must give weight all round on his first start for the all-conquering Colin Tizzard, who has been making all the right noises about what he calls a “proper horse’’.

Such is the firepower of the Tizzard yard these days and their record on a Saturday, it is probably worth just taking him at his word and not getting complicated in finding something to beat him. L’Ami Serge should be hard to peg back in the stanjames.com Champion Hurdle Trial Hurdle.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, he looked to be cantering over everything in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day before ultimately getting done by Agrapart.

While Agrapart is going the other way in distance for the Stayers’ Hurdle, Henderson was immediately talking of coming back to two miles for a horse he felt did not quite see the extended two and a half miles.

Elgin can extend his perfect jumping record to three in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle.

Much of the chatter after his win at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day surrounded the eclipse of the well-regarded Jenkins but that might in time prove a disservice to Alan King’s winner, who travelled well, jumped well and ran right to the line.

On what looks an excellent card Politologue can remain unbeaten over fences in the Star Sports Cheltenham Preview Evening Novices’ Chase.

It may potentially be the best race of its kind run in Britain this season but Paul Nicholls grey has looked a natural in two races to date.

He slammed a useful type in Vintage Clouds by 10 lengths over this course and distance in November and then handled the step up in class at Ascot with aplomb.

Just by jumping at speed he had smart rivals in trouble a long way from home and the third, Royal Vacation, has since won a Grade One, albeit in rather fortuitous circumstances at Kempton.

The penalty he has to give away should not be enough to halt his progress and he can book his ticket for Cheltenham in style.

Good money up for grabs in the Betway Handicap at Lingfield, with last month’s impressive course-anddistance scorer Pinzolo taken to dish out weight and beating for the Ismail Mohammed team.

The former Godolphin inmate knows this terrain very well indeed and certainly looked the part when he accounted for Barye by two and a quarter lengths on December 17.

Ar Mad can floor Un De Sceaux in what looks set to be a shoot-out for the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.

The Irish raider is rightly favourite, but it is equally correct to assume we have not yet seen the best of the Gary Moore-trained Ar Mad, who still has the potential to be a real top-notcher.

His comeback to be fourth to Un De Sceaux in the Tingle Creek at Sandown was a fair effort after an absence of nearly 300 days, particularly as having led at a fierce gallop he clattered one at halfway.

Although he lost his place and looked well beaten with three to jump, he actually stayed on again from the last, leaving Moore to state afterwards he was the horse to take out of the race.

In fact, there was talk about supplementing the bold-jumping seven-year-old, whose only other defeat over fences came on his debut, for the King George as stamina is not seen as an issue, but common sense prevailed and he will go over a longer trip at some point in the future.

This is a furlong and a bit more than the Tingle Creek, anyway, and if his jumping holds up at pace like it did when he won the Henry VIII at Sandown last season, he can really put it up to Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh.

Jaleo is taken to make the most of a recovery mission in the Keltbray Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle.

Ben Pauling’s five-year-old was a strong fancy for the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton last weekend but crashed out at the first.

The five-year-old had made his seasonal return, and first start for the Bourton-on-the-Water handler since joining from John Ferguson, a winning one at Lingfield earlier this month.

He won with plenty in hand and, if avoiding a repeat of any mishaps, a 7lb hike may not be enough to stop this lightly-raced individual from banking a nice prize.

Kylemore Lough should give a good account in the bet365 Handicap Chase, which carries added prizemoney of £70,000.

Kerry Lee’s pride and joy is a Grade One winner from a raid to Ireland last season that looks even better now than it did at the time, as Outlander, whom he beat a length at level weights, won the Lexus at Christmas and is in Gold Cup contention.

Lee’s runner has had just the two starts since that noteworthy success in March, most recently when fifth in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham, where a mistake three out blighted his chance.

That he recovered to lead is to his credit, but connections are of the view that took the stuffing out of him.

There is clearly a valuable handicap in him off this mark of 155, which is handily a pound lower than at Cheltenham.

IRISH NEWS YANKEE


Nap: Alary (3.15: Haydock)


Double: L’Ami Serge (2.40: Haydock)


Treble: Ar Mad (3.00: Ascot)


Yankee: Jaleo (2.25: Navan)