Muckle Roe has shaped with plenty of encouragement in his last two starts and looks worth siding with at 7/1 in the 1.30 at Wincanton today.
Nigel Twiston-Davies charge hinted at ability in maiden/novice hurdles last year, most notably when runner-up to Mountain King in a 13-runner affair at Ludlow.
Held-up that day, he made good headway five from home and after hitting three out stayed on well to be beaten 12 lengths.
Although not match for the easy winner, Mountain King is a useful sort now rated 132 and Muckle Roe finished 3 1/4 lengths in front of Red Seventy who went on to score next time up on handicap debut off a mark of 117.
It makes Muckle Roe’s current mark of 117 look exploitable, and the five-year-old went close to open his account over course and distance two starts back when going down by 1 1/4 lengths to Polamco in a driving finish.
The winner, who Muckle Roe was meeting on level weights, has since gone on to follow-up in a decnet class 2 contest at Newbury off 121 to give the form a solid look and the selection than then ran far better than the finisning position suggest last time out at Haydock when a distant fifth of 10 to Kilcooley.
The winner was enterprisingly ridden in the latter and allowed a clear lead to come home the 23 lengtsh winner, and Muckle Roe didn’t finish too far behind a couple of useful sorts in Abracadabra Sivola and Taj Badlandabad after weakening three from home.
That was a class 2 contest, and the drop back down into class 3 company looks sure to suit.
Muckle Roe also now gets the services of Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle for the first time this season, and with the favourite and top weight Great Choice very short in the betting looks decent value at the odds on offer.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts win Muckle Roe (7/1 bet365, Stan James, Skybet, William Hill – BOG)
