11th December 2012

I think we were a shade unlucky with Hazy Tom yesterday. There seemed only one winner going over the last and arguably he could have been pushed out a bit sooner to go for the line. Nevertheless we move onto today and again just the one selection to keep us ticking over.

12.40 Fontwell

Dovils Date is clear of these on ratings, and despite being well beaten by Far West last time out, that performance shouldn't be underrated as the victor is potentially very good. He should find this a lot easier today and rates a massive chance for the race, but there are a few concerns with him. Primarily he has to carry a penalty and we don't know quite how far ahead of these he is. His jumping also needs a bit of work (as many do at this stage) and he arguably wants faster ground. Whipcrackaway would seem the likeliest to win otherwise, looking to make amends for unseating his rider last time when looking set to win. However the debut of VEXILLUM has caught my eye, and with his trainer in fine form and becoming very good at placing his horses, he is worth a bet here. He also seems to handle softer ground and according to his trainer is a "natural" over hurdles, which could bring about the necessary improvement to bridge the gap with horses who were rated higher than him on the flat. 4/1 Stan James

Good luck!

The Horse Whisperer