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Dubrovnik Harry Looks a smart prospect and can back up a recent wide-margin win in the EBF British Stallion Studs “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle at Leicester.
Trainer Harry Fry decided to sidestep his bumper season and given he has already won over hurdles, it looks a wise choice.
Dubrovnik Harry, from the family of the very smart Royal Shakespeare, finished third on his hurdling debut at Exeter in December, looking understandably green.
Well backed a month later back at that track he made absolutely no mistake, coming home 25 lengths clear and while those in behind were no superstars, it was hard not to be impressed.
He faces another previous winner in Dan Skelton's Jet Plane, but the fact Fry has entered him for the Ballymore in March suggests he is capable of taking quite high rank.
Emma Lavelle's Sam Barton has yet to completely deliver on his early promise but it is too early to give up just yet.
He faces just three rivals in the Best Ticket Deals Online @ leicesterracecourse.co.uk Novices' Handicap Chase and it looks a great bit of placing.
Having won a novice hurdle at Doncaster this time last year, he went to the EBF Final at Sandown, for which he was quietly fancied, and he was far from disgraced when fourth.
With that in mind his three runs over fences to date have been lacklustre, but given he was competitive at Sandown off 132 and runs in this off 119, he must go close.
Lilly Pinchin got a great tune out of Richard Hobson's French recruit Family Business three weeks ago and a 4lb rise might not stop them going in again in the Leicester Racecourse Ideal Conference Venue Handicap Chase.
This is undoubtedly a much stronger race than on their last visit to the track, but the five-year-old is running off bottom weight.
Brian Ellison's string turned a corner last week which makes Punxsutawney Phil of interest in the Next Meeting @leicesterraces Thursday 17th February Handicap Hurdle.
Since winning at Sedgefield in October, he has run twice at Cheltenham and fared well without winning.
Nicky Henderson has never made any secret of how much he thinks of Dusart, but he will need to live up to it to beat Pats Fancy in the Virgin Bet Novices' Chase at Exeter.
Still lightly raced, Dusart did manage to win on his chasing debut at Leicester but it was not without alarm.
However, it was only the third race of his life and he still looked unsurprisingly immature before his stamina kicked in.
Pats Fancy is all about stamina and comfortably accounted for Imperial Alcazar last time out, who franked the form in no uncertain terms at Cheltenham on Saturday.
In receipt of 4lb though, Dusart's potential is taken to come out on top.
David O'Meara's Queen's Fair can open her account at the third time of asking in the Try Our New Price Boosts At Unibet Fillies' Novice Stakes.
Owned by Cheveley Park Stud, she is a full-sister to Breeders' Cup winner Queen's Trust.
In two runs to date she has shown enough ability to suggest a race like this is well within her compass.
Third of 12 on debut at Kempton, she beat all bar Haija at Wolverhampton most recently, but it was an even better run than it first looks as she became upset in the stalls and reared when they opened, losing more than the half a length she was beaten.
SELECTIONS:
DUNDALK: 1.30 Twilight Man, 2.00 Power Drive, 2.30 Nudge The Judge, 3.00 Beauty Amazed, 3.30 Happywifehappylife, 4.00 Faraah, 4.35 Business, 5.10 Adams Barbour.
EXETER: 1.40 Hope You Do, 2.10 Dusart, 2.40 Midnight Callisto, 3.10 Finest View, 3.40 Ambion Hill, 4.10 Chavez, 4.45 Bean In Trouble.
KEMPTON: 4.55 Jeremiah Johnson, 5.30 Broughtons Flare, 6.00 Queen's Fair, 6.30 Nuble, 7.00 Almufeed, 7.30 George Morland, 8.00 Red Showgirl, 8.30 Smith.
LEICESTER: 1.15 Coole Well, 1.50 DUBROVNIK HARRY (NAP), 2.20 Sam Barton, 2.50 Lively Citizen, 3.20 Family Business, 3.50 Punxsutawney Phil.
DOUBLE: Dubrovnik Harry and Sam Barton.