15:55 Leicester
This is a good quality Class 2 handicap being run over a mile and a half on soft ground at Leicester.
An interesting runner is the Jonjo O'Neill trained Minotaur, who has been racing over hurdles since his switch from France towards the back end of last year. He was a winner on the flat in France however and does look to have enough speed for this race. It is probably a safe assumption that this race will be used to get him sharp with the national hunt season about to really kick in, but I think he may still have a part to play in this if wound up at all.
The Mark Johnston trained Soldier In Action is the top rated in this field and he was a good winner of a similar quality handicap on soft going at Goodwood in August. That was over a further two furlongs though and he does appear to have a tendency to get a little outpaced over this distance.
Blakeney Point was a winner last time out over this distance at Newbury and although he has been hit with a three-pound rise in the weights because of that win, it may not be enough to stop him. He was second behind Soldier In Action at Goodwood in August and although he is worse off at the weights here today, a mile and a half may suit him a little better.
Sumbal has been running respectively in better races than this (including twice in a Group 3) and will be hopeful that the drop in class here today can see a change of fortune for the David Simcock runner. Andrea Atzeni takes the ride today and he has been in excellent form over the past month, with a strike rate of almost 23%.
My Reward, trained by Tim Easterby, was a winner over 13 furlongs in a Listed race at Chester last month and a repeat of that performance may be enough to take this race. His best form appears to be on good surfaces, however, so any further rain would not be a great help.
Today's selection
Blakeney Point - 2 points win at 9/4