Paddy Brennan: “Our team continue in brilliant form and you have to be hopeful”

CHEPSTOW – SATURDAY

1.25pm

Supreme Escape

A winning pointer, he has been beaten a fair way in his two maiden hurdles to date but maybe he can take a big step forward now going into handicaps. The longer trip is likely to suit, too.

 

1.55pm

Acting Lass

He didn’t shape without promise at Ascot on his reappearance and he is undoubtedly on a very fair mark if he can return to his 2018 best. He is unproven over this trip but hopefully he will see it out well enough and the first-time cheek pieces will help.

 

2.30pm

Diamond Fort

I won on him here over hurdles a couple of years ago, and he is a horse that tends to go well when fresh. He handles soft ground well enough  – though maybe a better surface would be ideal – and the trip shouldn’t be an issue, and his hurdles form tells you he is weighted to go well if he runs up to his best and takes to fences on his chasing debut, which his schooling at home suggests he will. Obviously, our team continue in brilliant form and you have to be hopeful.

 

3.05pm

The Swagman

This is the first time I have sat on him but he is a bumper winner who already looks to have shown a level of form over hurdles to make him competitive here, and trip and ground seem no problem. He runs in a first-time tongue-tie and cheek pieces, so he has a fair shout if they do their job.

 

3.40pm

Mortlach

He has a good pedigree, being by Yeats out of a mare who won three times and handled testing ground well. Other than that, I don’t know that much about him yet, so there is no point in guessing. It is never a bad thing to get on a Paul Nicholls horse, though.

 

HUNTINGDON – SUNDAY

2.30pm

Twin Star

He was a very good stayer on the Flat. He obviously hasn’t reached those heights in his two starts over hurdles to date but he looks to have shaped okay at Taunton last time and hopefully there is a lot more to come from him in this sphere.