The Last Day could not have been more impressive when winning last time out, so is strongly fancied to make light of a rise in the weights and follow-up in the 2m Hurst Park Handicap Chase at Ascot on Saturday (15:20).
This Evan Williams trained seven-year-old was a dual winner over hurdles and quickly developed into an even better chase last season.
After falling on chase debut at Newbury, The Last Day ran very well when chasing home the now 142-rated White Moon at Exeter.
He then went down all guns blazing by three-quarters of a length to Whatswrongwithyou at Ffos Las.
The winner went on to follow-up and then run well at the Cheltenham Festival when seventh of 19 to Croco Bay in the Grand Annual off 145.
That is strong form and The Last Day went on to round off the campaign with a facile eight-length success at Carlisle.
He was allotted what looked a very lenient opening handicap chase mark 131 on the back of those efforts.
Exciting prospect with untapped potential for Hurst Park Handicap Chase
The Last Day duly made a total mockery of it when sluicing up in the Virgin Bet Handicap Chase at Aintree 14 days ago.
He tracked the leaders travelling powerfully under a confident Adam Wedge, before being produced to take up the running on the snaff two from home.
The Last Day then lengthened effortlessly clear to win easing down by five lengths from Baby King, scoring with any amount in hand.
It was a totally dominant performance which oozed class and suggested there were plenty more races to be won with the lightly-raced son of Oscar.
Not surprisingly, the assessor has had his say and hit The Last Day with an 11lb rise in the weights.
However, a revised rating of 141 may still seriously underestimate his ability – judged on those aforementioned runs behind White Moon and Whatswrongwithyou.
The Last Day also has bags of untapped potential and looks an exciting prospect. So, at 100/30 with SportNation, he rates the standout bet in the Hurst Park Handicap Chase and across a cracking six-race card.
Spider’s Bite a bet to go one better
In the 3m novices’ limited handicap chase (12:55), last year’s runner-up Spider’s Bite looks decent value at 11/2 with Betfred to go one better.
After racing prominently throughout, the Henry Daly trained seven-year-old held every chance after jumping the last before weakening close home to be beaten just over a length by King Of Realms off a mark of 127.
It was a fine effort on just his second start over fences. The winner, from whom he was receiving just 5lb, has scored again since to now be rated 140.
Plenty of those in-behind have also come out and won, so that gives the form a strong look. It also suggests that Spider’s Bite should be up to winning races off his current mark of 132.
He was in the process of running a big race off it at Ludlow when last seen in action back in December.
Spider’s Bite was in the lead and going well when coming to grief at the 15th, however.
After just three starts over fences, the Trevor Hemmings owned son of Scorpion has shown more than enough to suggest he can win a race of this nature.
Horses from the yard have also been running well of late, so fitness is unlikely to be an issue, and the booking of Leighton Aspell to do the steering catches the eye.
He has only ever had 12 rides for Daly. They have resulted in two wins and three places for a healthy overall profit of £17.75 to a £1 win level stake.
Rosy World each-way value in mares’ handicap hurdle
Having shaped well in both her starts this season, Rosy World makes plenty of each-way appeal in the 3m handicap hurdle (13:30).
In the first of those over 2m 4f at Plumpton, the Suzy Smith trained six-year-old rallied and stayed on well to finish a half-length third of six to Shambra.
She now meets the winner on 1ln better terms. Ben Godfrey, who rode her that day and has partnered her to victory before, was unable to use his 7lb claim then but can now.
That gives Rosy World an 8lb swing in the weights. The runner-up Dan McGrue has since come out and landed a competitive class 3 at the same venue, so that gives the form a solid look.
Rosy World backed that up with a solid third to Skandiburg where she ran far better than the eventual 18 3/4 lengths she was beaten by suggests.
The daughter of Shirocco found herself in front far sooner than ideal and that caused her to race a bit too keenly.
Her cause also wasn’t helped by a bad mistake at the fourth last, so it was to her credit that she only get headed approaching the final flight before weakening 150 yards from home as those early exertions took their toll.
With those two spins under her belt, Rosy World should now be spot on to do herself justice. This race should be run at stronger gallop than Aintree which will play to her strengths.
So, with grounds conditions in her favour, Rosy World looks to have more going for her than odds of 13/2 with Unibet suggest.
