Hold Up La Colmine can race off the same mark as for his 25-length win at Windsor eleven days ago, with the switch from fences to hurdles meaning he escapes a penalty. It's not a huge surprise to see him reverting to the smaller obstacles, though as he made a couple of significant errors at Windsor in a race where none of the runners impressed in the jumping department and the big margin reflects those generic failings as much as it does the winner’s superiority on the day.
However, it’s worth noting that Philip Hobbs had a poor record when his chasers revert to hurdles, and Hold Up La Colmine may not represent value.
CAST'S TASHA looks a perfectly good alternative. Steadily progressive over the past couple of seasons until a disappointing final effort of the year at Lingfield last January, she won first time up last season after seven months off the track so can clearly go well fresh, and she needs plenty of cut to show her best, which she’ll get at Leicester.
She ran a rare below-par race when last seen at Lingfield in January, but travelled better than anything until flattening the penultimate flight and was eased when her chance was gone. Since then, she’s had wind surgery and trainer Ben Clarke continues to tick along with good results which garner little attention. He’s more than capable of getting his returning runners fit and in the last four weeks has reintroduced six horses after a break, with that sextet producing form figures of 132F31, with the faller still disputing the lead when coming down at the final flight.
Cast’s Tasha has an excellent strike-rate since fitted with a tongue tie a couple of seasons ago and improved when previously having wind surgery, so she is expected to maintain her form having been freshened up since her latest procedure.
Jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell is the final positive and the young rider has a record in jumps handicaps of 22 wins from 101 rides., and a profit to a tenner on all those mounts of £557.80 at SP. It looks significant that Cast’s Tasha is his only ride of the day.
The obvious one here is the hat-trick seeking Final Straw, owned and trained by Nicky Henderson, and he certainly can’t be ruled out.
On the other hand, the race he won at Kempton last month was a conditions riders’ race meaning he didn’t need to improve to follow up from the same mark at Plumpton and a 7lb rise means he does need to do more to score again.
He's been well placed, and appeals more than most, but HOLKHAM HALL is fairly treated on his form between the flags and looks a value alternative to the favourite. He hasn’t shown much at around 2m under rules, but has won a couple of points at a stiff 3m and a mark of 76 is there to be taken advantage of back over hurdles.
Holkham Hall’s point-to-point record since last seen over hurdles is 221P51S, improving to 221S at 3m, and he was going well when slipping up between fences when last seen at Upcott Cross in May. He could need the run after a lengthy break but seems to have improved for a test of stamina and could prove leniently treated if ready to go.
Preview posted 09:30 GMT on 04/12/25
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