Champion Hurdle:
I really like Nicky Henderson’s, Epatante. The race at Kempton over Christmas where she beat Silver Streak, she travelled really, really well, which I liked. She travelled so well, that it looked like no matter where she was in the race, she had enough pace to be able to make her move.
I thought that she kind of looked like she ran into traffic problems a little bit, getting caught up and she had to come round the outside of them and at one point she was about four or five wide but she just travels so well, she gets you out of trouble.
Her jumping had let her down before, particularly last year at Cheltenham but I thought her jumping was very slick at Kempton, she wasted no time at all. She went from A to B very quickly. There’s a few that you can make a case for in this race but to me, she’s the one that looks really impressive and she would obviously have a lower weight in the race being a mare in a Grade One.
RSA Chase
Champ fell last time out and his return at Kelso was abandoned so didn’t run there. I don’t think him falling last time, for me, is particularly off-putting. It’s not ideal, obviously, but if a horse makes a mistake and ends up on the deck that doesn’t mean they are not any good.
He’s looked very good throughout his whole career and I think he’s very exciting. I quite fancy him in this.
Lizzie’s double: A double on Champ (RSA) and Epatante (Champion Hurdle) pays 20/1
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