Race of the Day: Chasing debutant worth considering on bonus card at Ffos Las on Sunday | Racing News

At The Races expert Gary Nutting takes aim at a competitive handicap chase at Ffos Las, with a chasing debutant taking his eye in our Race of the Day feature.

The groundwork

Ffos Las is a galloping, left-handed circuit with a straight of just over half a mile. It’s an essentially level course, albeit with a very slight rise down the far side and the opposite in the home straight.

It’s recognised as a fair track with a short run-in and the chase course provides a good test of jumping ability. Top trainers, strike-rate wise in the last three years, are John Flint, Jamie Snowden, Fergal O’Brien and Peter Bowen.

Jockeys with the best strike-rates over the same period are Sean Bowen (also top on number of winners), Conor Brace, Gavin Sheehan and Tom Scudamore – the Vickers.Bet Handicap Chase (2:18pm) looks an intriguing test.

The leading fancies

How’s The Cricket

Makes chase debut off same mark as when first past post in conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over 2m5f on soft ground at Newton Abbot in March (first run for this stable and wearing first-time tongue-tie).

Subsequently disqualified after failing drugs test and has also undergone wind surgery.

Eaton Collina

Starts life over fences off 7lb higher than when winning handicap hurdle over this trip at Hereford (good to soft) on penultimate start last season (unseated early back there 11 days later).

Ballinsker

Easing back down the weights, though still 6lb higher than last winning mark over fences.

All four career wins have come on goodish ground, but well treated on his soft-ground sixth in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham two years ago.

Investment Manager

Heavy-ground hurdles winner over 2m5f at Newton Abbot on reappearance last season and makes fencing debut off same mark as when close second over this trip at Chepstow next time. Dropping back in grade here.

Rest of the field

Smugglers Blues appears quite versatile ground wise and has claims on his placed efforts off slightly higher marks, albeit his wins have come off lower. Runasimi River is well treated on the pick her hurdles form but a late convert to chasing and not shown much in two tries so far.

Vinnie The Hoddie is not the most reliable but 5lb lower than highest winning mark of two years ago. Not sure softening ground will suit him, esepcially under big weight. Abaya Du Mathan, a veteran course-and-distance winner, is competitively handicapped on best form but has been busy of late without any obvious signs of encouragement.

Verdict

A case can be made for a few of these but it may be worth taking a chance with INVESTMENT MANAGER on chase debut. He won first time out last season and this represents a drop in grade.