Grand Vision

18th-Feb-2012

This is not usually my type of race, but I wanted to back Grand Vision for the abandoned Heroes Hurdle at Sandown a couple of weeks ago and, for the same reasons, I want to back him for this race today.

He is a shorter price today than he was going to be for that race, but it is not nearly as strong a race as the Sandown contest, and he gets to compete off his correct handicap mark today.

Beyond that, he is a really likeable individual, and he has improved significantly for stepping up in trip this term. Third in a decent race at Exeter when stepped up to two miles and five and a half furlongs, he improved again when stepped up another furlong to run the highly-regarded Gullinbursti to a neck at Hereford, the pair of them clear of Kaffie, who came out and won her next two, and was only just beaten in a listed mares’ hurdle at Ascot on her most recent run. Grand Vision has since won at Huntingdon, keeping on well to get the better of Dusky Bob, with subsequent winner Sainglend back in third.

The one imponderable about Grand Vision is how he is going to handle heavy conditions today. He has run well and won on good ground and on good to soft, and we don’t know that he doesn’t handle it, but we don’t know for sure that he does.

However, the balance of probability suggests that he will. Such is the manner in which he has been staying on at the end of his races, the extra premium that the soft ground will place on stamina should actually be in his favour. On top of that, his dam is by Roselier, and she was all stamina and all soft ground, and Grand Vision is a big horse who looks like he will handle soft conditions.

Everything else about him is positive. He is only six, he has raced just four times over hurdles, he is progressive and has the scope to continue to progress significantly, much more than the 8lb hike with which he has been rewarded for his latest runs. 8/1 is more than fair.

GRAND VISION WON (ADV 8/1, SP 5/1)

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