Does He Know

13th-Nov-2022

I am backing Does He Know here.  I think that he could improve again for the step up to this marathon trip.

Winner of a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at this meeting in 2020, Kim Bailey’s horse was a progressive novice chaser last season.  He beat Threeunderthrufive at Chepstow on his debut, and he won at Cheltenham’s October meeting, and finished a good second to the same Threeunderthrufive at this meeting last year, which was a good performance even if the race behind them did fall apart.

All his form was on good ground, before he went to Ascot in February and ran out an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase on soft ground.  He just galloped his rivals into the ground that day, he relished the test, and, out of a mare who won over an extended three miles, he could relish today’s test too, stepping up to three and a half miles for the first time.

He was hampered and unseated at the first fence on his return at Kelso last month, so this is effectively his seasonal debut, but we know that he goes well fresh.  His record, before he fell at Kelso, after a break of 50 days or more read 12111.  And he goes well at Cheltenham, he has won there three times, all three wins recorded at this time of year.

He has a handicap rating of 152, but he is only seven and has raced just six times over fences, so he still has the potential to progress, especially now that he steps up to a marathon trip.  I fear Fantastikas, but Does He Know is the bet.

DOES HE KNOW WON (ADV 9/2, SP 6/1)