Patient Owner set to give more for Oliver

PATIENT OWNER catches the eye as a lightly raced stayer taking on mainly exposed rivals in Carlisle’s Happy Birthday Tony And Nora Wootten Handicap Chase (4.15).

The Henry Oliver-trained eight-year-old entered my notebook after a Uttoxeter near-miss on his first venture over fences on New Year’s Eve.

Backed from 10-1 to 4-1 during the afternoon – and notably strong at the off – Patient Owner showed a nice blend of fluent jumping and relentless galloping to finish a two-length runner-up to The Lion Dancer.

Those are the attributes which staying chasers at Carlisle require, and this even stiffer test should bring out the best in him.

Patient Owner raced wider than his 11 Uttoxeter rivals throughout, covering more ground as a result.

Oliver was suffering from a chronic bout of seconditis at around that time, and it’s surely a boost to Patient Owner’s prospects that stablemate Skinflint bolted up by ten lengths at Chepstow on Friday. The stable could now be hitting top form.

To The Limit, from the Stuart Coltherd yard, lacks the selection’s scope for improvement, but has been raised only 3lb for a hardfought Kelso success last month.

He finished a close third to Skyhill in a division of this race 12 months ago and could go well once again.

Nicky Richards (right) has sent out two winners and two seconds from his last five runners, the horse who didn’t make the first two was sent off at 66-1.

With that in mind, it may be worth taking a chance that the well-handicapped Serious Ego can strike another blow for Greystoke by landing the Caldew Handicap Hurdle (3.45).

Serious Ego has visited the winner’s enclosure on just one occasion since joining

Richards in late 2019.

He thrashed Crackdeloust by seven and a half lengths in the Haydock mud that day off a mark of 110 under Sean

Quinlan, well suited by a slog at around two miles.

Serious Ego competes off 13lb lower this time, and it could prove unlucky for bookmakers as he has plenty of things in his favour.

For instance, he is 10lb better off with Carlisle specialist Wor Verge than when finishing fifth to that rival over course and distance in October.

Richards’ runner was beaten more than 18 lengths that afternoon, but plenty of people anticipated better as Serious Ego started 4-1.

Wor Verge has since performed well below that form on a return visit to Carlisle in a softground handicap hurdle won by Applaus – a quirky sort who needs plenty of space and is more effective in small fields – and needs to bounce back.

Gorcombe Moonshine

finished 46 lengths behind Force De Frap when sent off a heavily backed 100-30 favourite at Wincanton last month.

The avalanche of support proved a surprise since connections had declined to fit the cheekpieces which had seen Gorcombe Moonshine produce a career-best performance at Fontwell on his previous start.

There was also a concern that the ground – officially described as good to soft, but it looked more testing to the naked eye – would prove detrimental to the market leader’s chance as he had got sunk in the Lingfield mud prior to bouncing back on the much drier Fontwell surface.

Force De Frap and Gorcombe Moonshine renew rivalry in Fontwell’s At The Races App Expert Tips Handicap Hurdle (4.30) on ground which is likely to be similar to how it was at that December meeting. Gorcombe Moonshine, sporting firsttime cheekpieces on that occasion, made the boldest of bids from the front in a 13-runner race, and kept on well for second after being headed by Ray’s The One.

The headgear is back on, and Gorcombe Moonshine is now 14lb better off with Force De Frap, who was well beaten on his sole start at Fontwell when rated 4lb lower.

Emma Jane-Bishop’s runner has improved significantly since, but I believe Gorcombe Moonshine can beat him with conditions firmly in his favour this time.

Harry Kimber, who partnered Gorcombe Moonshine to finish second in December, has won on six of his 12 starts at the Sussex track this season, and the rider’s 3lb claim means my selection carries just 9st 13lb.