27/09/16 Straight From The Trainers Mouth

Mark Usher

7:40 Wolverhampton – Marshall Aid 14/1

Marshall Aid is a fine, big horse whose medium term future will almost certainly be over hurdles but he has shown both ability and a liking for the artificial surfaces and he goes to Wolverhampton this evening as part of his work in progress. He has very little weight to carry and we are pleased to have been able to get Kieran O’Neill to ride him off bottom weight as there are not all that many experienced pilots able to do this kind of weight. We are hoping that he will show up well in what is quite a strong handicap.

★★☆☆☆

8:10 Wolverhampton – Miss Fortune 80/1

Miss Fortune is less easy to describe and Mark is taking her back to Wolverhampton to see if the much kinder surface there compared to Sandown’s firm ground will produce some improvement. She is a filly who is intrinsically better than she has shown on the racecourse (witness her performance second time out under Kieran at Sandown last Summer) and it was a disappointment to see her drop away at Sandown a fortnight ago after travelling so well to two out. On what she achieves at home she was quietly fancied to outrun her price at Sandown and the Yard hope for a better performance today.

★★★☆☆

Malcom Jefferson

2:00 Sedgefield – Major Ivan 3/1

He fell when first seen over fences and suffered a small injury which has kept him off until now, but he is as fit as we can get him at home and ready to go. A clear round would be a great starting point and anything else is a bonus. 2 miles may be on the sharp side so any rain would be a bonus as it would make it more of a test and he handles any ground.

★★★☆☆

4:50 Sedgefield  - Virtually Ours 8/1

Give in the ground should not worry Virtually Ours either as, although a half sister to Attaglance and Hi George who prefer good ground, she has a bit of a higher knee action and would handle cut. She has done a lot this filly but she does do things quite easily and it would not surprise me if she were quite green (it is harder to teach a horse with a high cruising speed). She has a turn of foot which she may need and she is ready for a run.

★★★☆☆