Eton Forever

2nd-Apr-2011

Eton Forever is worryingly weak in the market this morning, but he has a huge chance on form, and I am still backing him at 9/1. He is one of those lightly-raced four-year-olds that has the potential to be a fair bit better than his handicap mark. Actually, (he) raced just four times last year, progressing with each race and running well on his final start despite finished just fifth in a hot handicap at Sandown.

That race was won by Kakatosi, who won his next two races and rose 21lb in the ratings, while the second, third and fourth all upheld the form well subsequently. Eton Forever hung a little to his right that day, he never really seemed to be completely at ease on the very fast ground, so the switch back to good ground today should be in his favour. He won his maiden at Kempton over a mile, he stayed the trip well, and on his penultimate run he ran a cracker to chase home Navajo Chief, who was well-ridden from the front, in a decent handicap at Haydock. He races off the same mark of 92 today, and that could be decidedly lenient.

Perhaps his drift is down to the fact that he is trained by the little-known Roger Varian, but Varian was assistant trainer to Michael Jarvis, he took over his horses upon Jarvis’s retirement, and it would not be at all surprising if progress is maintained seamlessly. We don’t know for sure, but it is probable that there will not be much of a deviance from Jarvis’s training methods, at least not initially, and that shouldn’t be a negative.

Dance And Dance is also over-priced here in my book at 16/1. He is five years old and he is not as obviously progressive as some of his rivals, but he ran a cracker on his last run last season to beat Lincoln fancy Gunner Lindley (who won his next race off a 2lb higher mark) by a nose, with subsequent Cambridgeshire winner Credit Swap a head and a nose back in fourth.

That was on soft ground, but he has won on Polytrack and he has run well on good to firm, so the better ground shouldn’t be an issue. He is only 3lb higher now than he was that day, whereas Gunner Lindley is now 7lb higher and Credit Swap is 5lb higher. He won on his seasonal debut last year, so we know that he goes well fresh. Jamie Spencer has been claimed by his retaining owner for Mata Keranjang, but Adam Beschizza is a top apprentice, he could go right to the top, and he is huge value for his 5lb claim for now.

ETON FOREVER WON (SP 10/1)

DANCE AND DANCE 2ND (SP 16/1)

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