SENIOR CITIZEN, who has reportedly been pleasing his trainer Alan King on the gallops, can make a winning return from a mid-season break under ideal conditions in Saturday's BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury in the colours of Max McNeill which were carried to victory by Tritonic at Kempton last Saturday.
Adrian Heskin's mount has looked an improved performer over fences this season winning at Newton Abbot in September and then putting up a gallant effort under a double penalty at Huntingdon where he failed by a battling two-and-a-half lengths to concede 10lb to the promising Espoir De Romay who was then not disgraced next time giving weight to the Gold Cup contender Royal Pagaille.
Senior Citizen seems best suited by quickish ground (which he should get here) and, therefore, ran much better than his finishing position suggests in one subsequent start when disputing the lead jumping the last in the Grand Sefton (2m5f soft) at Aintree over the Grand National fences.
Up to the point when the fuel tank ran dry, he had jumped immaculately and, freshened up since, looks a strong contender here off a light weight.
A serious danger could be The Big Bite, a good second to the progressive Ibleo at Doncaster last time, though he is 12lb worse off with the selection for a three-and-a-half length beating on the same course last January.
Earlier, EATON HILL can take the opening BetVictor Seniors' Handicap Hurdle on his first outing since an unfortunate disqualification due to the oversight of a missing weight cloth at Doncaster in December when he beat the useful Paul Nicholls-trained Ecco by seven lengths.
Set to carry just 10st7lb that day, it's unlikely that Kerry Lee's charge was overly advantaged as he wouldn't have been carrying much 'dead weight' anyway, and the handicapper has put him up by 3lb whereas the runner-up is now 6lb higher following a good second subsequently at Kempton.
Eaton Hill's return to form at Doncaster was not particularly surprising given that his reappearance fourth to the much improved Mint Condition at Bangor has worked out very well, and he can be forgiven a wide-margin defeat by the ill-fated Exploiteur on his next start over a longer trip in extremely testing conditions at Ffos-Las.
Off a mark 7lb below his peak, Richard Patrick's mount remains attractively handicapped.
In the BetVictor Veterans Handicap Chase, conditions should suit SHANTOU VILLAGE much better than the soft going he faced at Kempton (in a much better race won by Royal Pagaille) last time.
Neil Mulholland’s gelding has always been best on a dry surface and wasn’t beaten far when fourth to the re-opposing top weight Present Man under such conditions at Chepstow in October.
Taking into account Millie Wonnacott’s good value 7lb allowance, Shantou Village must have every chance of turning those tables off a featherweight and with his stable (and rider) in very good form.
Published at 1650 GMT on 05/03/21
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