The West Is Wide can upset

The last time The West Is Wide was seen in a handicap was back in August last year over this course and distance and Vaughan Marshall’s charge won by 2.25 lengths beating Dressed In Cotton.


A couple of disappointing cracks at some feature races followed but there were signs in his penultimate run The West Is Wide could be ready to strike and he can cause an upset by winning Race 7, a MR 94 handicap over 1200m at Kenilworth today.

Admittedly The West Is Wide has proven to be a bit unreliable due to soundness issues but at 14/1 (current price Betting World) he is worth a small each-way strike.

Apprentice Heavelon van der Hoven – who claims 4kg – has recently done well aboard Bold Var for the Marshall yard and he could make full use of his allowance on the Western Winter gelding.

Gulf Storm is distance suited and has some decent recent form behind him but he will need to produce a career best to win this although he may have escaped lightly with just a 2 point penalty for his last win.

The three-year-olds Alpha Pegasi, Knox and Joiners Arms are all lightly raced and still capable of massive improvement so must be respected.

Alpha Pegasi had Knox more than five lengths behind him when they met over this course and distance in November but Knox is sure to have come on from that outing as it was his first run in the Western Cape.

The Eric Sands yard is in much better form this season and Joiners Arms is improving but is up in class and may need it a bit further.

 

Read more on these topics

Horse News

Access premium news and stories

Access to the top content, vouchers and other member only benefits