Paddy Brennan: He has been in unbelievable form at home
12.10pm Haydock
Windshear
I thought he shaped pretty well when third at Newbury and he was a very good horse on the Flat a few years ago. And, for all his best efforts on the level were probably on good ground, he did have winning form on soft. But he clearly needs to progress a lot to be competitive here
Diamond Fort
Even though he had form on heavy, we were a little concerned by the soft going for him first time out at Wetherby. I took him around the outside looking for the better ground, but we needn’t have worried as he won really nicely for me there and handled it well. The handicapper has had his say and raised him 10lb, but I suppose the runner-up did come out and win at Fontwell on Sunday. He has been working well before Wetherby, and remains in good form at home, so hopefully he will be competitive here. It’s the first jumps meeting of the year here, so it will be fresh, wet, ground, so I am not expecting it to be too bad.
Chase The Spud
He ran an excellent race when second in the 3m4f handicap chase on this card last season but he couldn’t bid to go one better as he is now rated 139 after his Midlands Grand National win and that race is a 0-135. I don’t think this 3m1f125yd trip will be any problem, and we know he handles deep ground very well, and I suppose the issue is the fact he has been raised 9lb for that Uttoxeter win, in which he must have passed at least 10 horses up the straight. That is probably on the high side but his ability to act in these conditions will arguably be more important, and I can tell you that he has been in unbelievable form at home and he seems to have come back better than ever. He feels like a proper horse.
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