Zhiguli

21st-Jan-2022

I am backing Zhiguli here.  I think that he is over-priced at 7/2 or 4/1.

He ran well last time at Ascot, dropped back down to two and a half miles. He was a little novicey over his early fences, but he warmed up nicely and, while he couldn’t match Palmers Hill and Diego Du Charmil for pace, he kept on well to take fourth place.

He should be better suited by today’s heavy ground and, now that he is settling better in his races, he could take a nice step forward. He stayed on well to win a three-mile novices’ handicap chase on heavy ground at Lingfield in October, proving that he could operate on today’s ground at today’s track, and that is a good asset to take into the race.

He is only 1lb higher now than he was then and, racing today in just his fourth chase, he has the potential to go beyond today’s mark of 124.

ZHIGULI WON (ADV 4/1, SP 16/5)