Having impressed in winning both his start over the obstacles, Allmankind looks worth siding with at 5/4 with BetVictor to get the getter of Irish raider Cerberus in the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle on Welsh Grand National day at Chepstow this Friday (13:35).
The four-year-old son of German Derby winner Sea The Moon moved to Dan Skelton’s yard from the Newmarket base of Michael Bell earlier in the autumn.
Allmankind was impressive on hurdling debut when making all to slam Gaia Vallis by 37 lengths at Warwick.
He was then turned out quickly just eights days later and put in an astonishing performance when landing the Grade 2 Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Allmankind pulled like a train and raced freely at the head of affairs from flag fall on bottomless ground.
He looked to have done far too much too soon but, when shaken up turning for home, found stacks to beat Botox Has by 2 1/2 lengths.
The front two pulled well clear of the third home and some highly-touted types. Botox Has has also since come out and scored in fine style at Sandown to give the form a boost.
It was an incredible performance visually and Allmankind clearly has a huge engine, for all that he is clearly not straightforward.
At this stage, he is arguably the best juvenile hurdler seen this side of the Irish Sea.
It will be fascinating to monitor how he develops mentally in future races en route to a crack at the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next March.
The sky could be the limit for Allmankind if he learns to settle a bit better and this track should play to his strengths, so he is this taken to land the hat-trick.
Harry Senior has a super chance in opener
Having run two fine races in defeat, Harry Senior looks to hold outstanding claims of opening his account in the 2m 3f maiden hurdle that gets proceedings underway (12:30).
In the first of those at Exeter, this Colin Tizzard trained five-year-old got headed close home to be beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Sporting John.
The winner is a hugely exciting sort who has since bolted up by eight lengths at the same venue, whilst the third, fourth and fifth home have also gone on to taste success.
That gives the form an extremely strong look. Harry Senior has since run very well when again collared late on and beaten just a length by Edawardstone at Aintree.
Edwardstone is a well-regarded sort trained by Alan King who went into the race on the back of a taking success over a subsequent easy winner, so that form again reads well.
Both those contests were class 3 affairs, and Harry Senior now drops down into class 4 company for a yard that does well with its runners at the track.
He looks a smart sort and the type to win plenty of races, so this looks like a nice opening for him to get off the mark en route to better things.
With Robbie Power in the saddle, the Brocade Racing owned son of Oscar thus looks a worthy market leader to get favourite backers off to a flying start.
Class-dropping Acey Milan taken to come up trumps after Finale Juvenile Hurdle
Acey Milan ran a stormer when runner-up last time out, so can cash-in on a drop in class in the extended 2m 7f handicap hurdle following the Finale Juvenile Hurdle (14:10).
Trained by the in-form Anthony Honeyball, this five-year-old was a very smart bumper performer winning three times.
Acey Milan landed Listed contests at Cheltenham and Newbury, before running the best of the British horses in the 2018 Champion Bumper.
He was only beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Relegate and appealed as one to follow over hurdles last season.
Acey Milan won just one of his five starts, however, scoring at Plumpton and clearly needed stepping up in trip.
A wind op over the summer has brought about some improvement in this sphere, however. Acey Milan was held by three-quarters of a length over an inadequate trip on reappearance back at Plumpton.
However, he then put in a magnificent effort under front-running tactics in the Grade 3 Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle on Betfair Chase at Haydock.
The son of Milan was under constant pressure but only faded close home when the strong finishing Stoney Mountain came past him.
It was a fine performance under 3lb claimer Rex Dingle. Although put up by the handicapper to a mark of 132, Acey Milan looks more than capable of winning off that mark in this easier contest.
With the Honeyball stable operating at a 44 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight at the time of writing, he can go one better here.
Back Acey Milan at 5/2 with William Hill in this Chepstow contest.
