Nico de Boinville: “The trip is an unknown, but his pedigree gives you some hope”

Sandown

12.40pm 

Raising The Bar

He showed some ability when in midfield in his first two bumpers, and then I rode him when he was second to a decent sort at Huntingdon. He has been off since that outing in the summer of 2017, and has had his wind done in the meantime, but hopefully our patience can be rewarded with a promising run here. He schools well.

3.35pm

Divine Spear

We were obviously expecting a better run from him on his return at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, but perhaps he needed it more than we thought or, more likely, he found the ground a bit too quick. He was never really travelling there but hopefully it will be softer here and he has been dropped 2lb in the weights, too. The trip is the big unknown, as his good win at Ascot last season came over 2m1f and he has never raced beyond 2m5f, but his pedigree would give you some hope on that score. If he does stay, then I think he is on a fair enough mark.

4.10pm

She Might Bite

She ran her best race yet when third at Warwick on New Year’s Eve, and the form of that race has worked out well. I rode the winner there and she followed up in some style next time, while the runner-up also obliged on her next start. So I think a mark of 116 is fair enough, and hopefully there is more to come from this winning pointer, too.

Al Boum Photo Anibale Fly Balko Des Flos Bellshill Edwulf Monalee Noble Endeavor Outlander Road To Respect The Storyteller

What a lineup for our @Unibet Irish Gold Cup on Sunday!! pic.twitter.com/N85x8qrexI

— Unibet Racing (@UnibetRacing) February 1, 2019