Taglietelle

9th-Apr-2015

I am backing Taglietelle here at 8/1. Gordon Elliott’s horse put up a cracking performance in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, as things turned out, to finish fourth, beaten a total of just a length by serious prospect Aux Ptit Soins.

Unusually for a Coral Cup, it was a race in which it was an advantage to race handily, so Taglietelle did really well to get into the race from the rear. Six of the first seven horses home raced handily, he was the only horse who could get into the race from the rear. And he did more than just get into the race, he went close to winning it. He travelled really well down the hill on the run to the second last, but he got held up a little around the home turn. Moved towards the inside on the run to the final flight, he stayed on well all the way to the line, but he just couldn’t catch the front three, who all quickened from the front off the sedate early pace. If they had had another 100 yards to run, he might well have got up.

The handicapper raised him 5lb for that, but that is fine. He is only six, and that was his first run since last November, so he is entitled to come on for it. An 82-rated horse on the flat for Andrew Balding, he goes well on good ground, and he should get the good even pace that suits him well. The step up to three miles is also interesting for him, he won over a mile and seven furlongs on the flat, he shapes like a stayer, and the step up in trip could bring about even further improvement.

TAGLIETELLE WON (ADV 8/1, SP 7/1)

Back