In-form county trainers Ben Case and Caroline Bailey will be looking to defy the elements and land a local blow when Towcester stages its Easter Sunday fixture this weekend, with the first race due off at 2.10pm.
With a handful of entries on the card, Wardington Gate Farm handler Case will be looking to strike with Bebinn, Beyond The Wall and Percy’s Reflection, while Bailey will be hopeful that Malapie can take the opening 2m novices’ hurdle.
Mindful of the weather, Case is clearly keeping his options open as both Bebinn, second to Va’Vite at the Northants track earlier this month, and Percy’s Reflection, are also entered up at Plumpton on Sunday.
Yet Towcester remains the first choice of engagement.
Bailey has been a virtual stranger to Towcester this season but this has only been because the race framework has not suited many of her string and she insisted this week: “We always like to have runners at Towcester whenever we can. It makes perfect sense for us and we always have a good day out with the locals.”
The recent Cheltenham Festival helped to throw up an intriguing piece of form surrounding the five year-old Malapie, a 25/1 winner on soft ground at Wetherby in early December.
Briar Hill, the Willie Mullins-trained and Ruby Walsh-ridden 25/1 winner of the championship bumper, only defeated Malapie by three lengths when the pair clashed in a point to point at Necarne last May.
Cropredy Lawn handler Paul Webber has been eyeing Towcester for Endofdiscussion but the six-year-old may have to cede second best to Quayside Court from the Claire Dyson yard.
Dyson has seen her horses in a rich vein of form of late with 11 winners to her name this season, a total which includes victories at Towcester with both Quayside Court and Musical Wedge in the last five weeks.
Quayside Court has been raised 8lbs to a new mark of 86 since defeating Royaume Bleu here last time, but the nine year-old goes well for Gerald Quinn and may have more to offer.
Victory for Buffy The Beatle in the opening 2m Bet totejackpot Text Tote To 89660 Novices’ Hurdle would have a positive spin-off for Kidney Research UK, as the five year-old is one of two inmates from Kim Bailey’s yard to run for this charity.
Henry Kimbell, Southern Fundraising Manager for Kidney Research UK said: “We also have Sparville which was second at Catterick last time in a novices’ chase, after leading over the last.
“March 14 was World Kidney Day which we used as a launch pad to raise awareness by wearing the colour purple.
“We are very lucky to have the former jockey and racing correspondent Richard Pitman as our ambassador. Richard donated a kidney to a complete stranger last year.”