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Thomas Patrick the sensible choice

December 30th, 2017 | Ian Carnaby's Racing News

At this stage there is not much point in going into detail where Saturday’s racing is concerned; all we can do is wait and see what the weather does and take it from there.

The going will be bottomless if Haydock goes ahead and it may pay to follow horses which have been round there before in similar conditions. The stand-out example is THOMAS PATRICK in the long-distance handicap hurdle. He was second last time in a similar race, will not mind deep ground and has the valuable assistance of Mr Tommie O’Brien, who is riding for his own stable, that of Tom Lacey, and can claim 5lb. That doesn’t make Thomas Patrick any sort of good thing because he has crept up from 114 to 121 to 125 but several of the others will flounder in the ground.

Otherwise it will be very quiet in this corner, though the Mandarin at Newbury makes some appeal. Again, the forecast going is heavy and at first sight Potters Legend seems to have it to do under top weight. But he isn’t actually conceding all that much and, having made his move at the same time as the winner in the recent Ladbrokes Trophy, the former Hennessy, over course and distance, was by no means disgraced just behind the placed horses. I shall risk a little on him and save on Donald McCain’s Federici, who won’t mind the going and plugged on well enough when fourth in the Becher Chase at Aintree. He is also entered for the 2.40 at Haydock, where the trip may not be far enough, but he is well at present and should not be ignored.