3 minute read
Fever Roque can secure the victory his consistency deserves on the third and final day of the Go North Weekend at Carlisle.
A 14-length winner over hurdles last season when rated 96, the Rebecca Menzies-trained grey appears nicely treated from his current perch of 100 ahead of the £30,000 Go North Monet's Garden Series Final Handicap Chase.
Fever Roque is winless after five attempts over fences so far, but has been placed in each of his four completed races and has found only one too strong the last twice.
He was giving almost a stone to Lucinda Russell's Caboy on his most recent appearance at Wetherby and there was not much wrong with his performance in being beaten only three lengths.
The more testing conditions in Cumbria should see him in an even better light and with only 10st 6lb on his back, less Aaron Anderson's 5lb claim, a bold bid looks assured.
Getaway Luv may be capable of giving weight and a beating to his rivals in the Go North One Man Series Final Handicap Chase.
The eight-year-old has won his last two completed starts over fences at Catterick and Ayr – storming home on the latter occasion to claim what had looked an unlikely victory by half a length.
The handicapper has left his mark of 115 untouched despite that success and given how strong he was at the finish in Scotland, the more testing nature of Carlisle should be right up his street.
Duke Of Deception gets the nod in the Go North Red Rum Series Final for the Cheltenham Festival-winning training team of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.
The six-year-old remains unexposed over fences after just four starts and really got his act together when bolting up by 14 lengths at Musselburgh last month.
A 2lb rise is unlikely to be enough to prevent him from following up.
Russell's Giovinco should prove hard to beat in the opening Happy 60th Birthday Helen Butterworth Novices' Hurdle.
The six-year-old was bought for £85,000 in December after winning an Irish point-to-point and gave his new connections an immediate return on their investment with an impressive display on his rules debut at Ayr a fortnight ago.
While that form is open to question, he could do no more than win comfortably by 11 lengths from two rivals and softer ground should suit under the penalty.
The application of cheek pieces could do the trick for Young Bull in the Devon Stayers Handicap Chase at Exeter.
The nine-year-old is rated 134 over hurdles, having completed a hat-trick late in 2019, yet lines up over fences this weekend off 123.
There are a couple of reasons for the disparity, one being that he spent well over a year on the sidelines with injury and he has not yet managed to rediscover his best form.
That being said, he ran pretty well in a couple of competitive novice handicaps at the backend of last season and there was encouragement to be taken from his only previous outing of this season when third at Haydock in late December.
Returning from another break in first-time headgear, he is clearly capable of making his presence felt.
SELECTIONS:
CARLISLE: 1.50 Giovinco, 2.25 Getaway Luv, 3.00 Sawpit Sienna, 3.35 FEVER ROQUE (NAP), 4.10 Piaff Bubbles, 4.45 Duke Of Deception, 5.18 Foxwood.
EXETER: 2.07 Pilsdon Pen, 2.42 Buckhorn Rocco, 3.17 Havanella, 3.52 Young Bull, 4.27 Minimalistic, 5.02 Vinnie Sparkles.
LIMERICK: 1.40 Feronily, 2.15 Della Casa Lunga, 2.50 Clairmc, 3.25 Thedevilscoachman, 4.00 From The Ashes, 4.35 Queen Jane, 5.10 The Yellow Clay.
NAAS: 1.25 Capital Guarantee, 2.00 Half Nutz, 2.35 Not Too Real Bad, 3.10 The Organiser, 3.45 Londoner, 4.20 Sunchart, 4.55 Red Riding Hood, 5.25 Sprewell.
DOUBLE: Giovinco and Fever Roque.
