Dursey Sound runs off a career-low mark in the 3.00 at Southwell today and looks worth siding with at 7/1 to take advantage now eased in grade.
Jonjo O’Neill’s charge was a useful hurdler and looked sure to win plemnty of races over the larger obstacles when making a winning chase debut at Bangor last October.
The six-year-old chased the leaders that day and after a mistake two out was driven to lead before the last before running on strongly to score with more in hand than the 1 3/4 length winning margin suggests.
Dursey Sound was allotted an opening mark of 138 on the back of that effort, but then failed to complete in his next two starts.
In the latter of those et Fakenham he unseated AP McCoy when rallying and holding every chnace at the last, and the handicapper reacted by harshly putting him up 2lb to 140.
He then finsihed runner-up twice over 3m 2f before finishing a well beaten 15th of 19 in the class 1 listed Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Dursey Sound was then well pulled-up on his return to action after a 130 day lay-off in the class 1 listed Summer Plate at Market Rasen, but has since been droped another 2lb and now runs off 130.
That makes him look dagnerously well-handicapped if bouncing back to his best, and the drop down into class 2 company could well see him in a far better light.
It’s also interesting that he is now dropping back to 2m 5f, over which he has notched two of his three career successes, and with AP in the saddle he looks worth another chance to confirm the promise of his win over fences at Bangor.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts win Dursey Sound (7/1 Stan James, William Hill – BOG)
