Willie Mullins is set up nicely to do a glorious Cesarewitch double with the Irish instalment of this cracking handicap taking place at Navan on Sunday. Another rampage of runners from the champion trainers’ yard here, fielding seven, with several possessing an interesting chance.
But the pick of his bunch and expected to do the business for him is EXCHANGE RATE, who looks massively unexposed although already looking built for this type of affair on just his eighth start. He has won four of his first seven career starts including an extremely cosy win last time out on the bridle in a minor event on heavy going over 1m 6f.
He was desperately unlucky not to beat the reopposing Brazos going down by a head over the same trip at Killarney staying on late. With the step up to two miles certain to suit and strong hurdles form at or longer than this trip, he looks like he could be laid out for this too.
Exchange Rate could be miles ahead of the handicapper off a mark of 89 and is our first selection to help us also claim our own Cesarewitch double this weekend.
We also can’t let NEWCROSS go unbacked for A J Martin, who often pounces in races of this nature. Newcross is officially three pounds out of the handicap here, but with a talented five pound claimer aboard he makes that back with interest.
He carries 8st 4lbs and is another that has scope for plenty of improvement off an official mark of 80. He won a 1m 4f handicap comfortably on his first start for this yard back in June before following that up with an unlucky second at the Galway Festival.
He was coming home best before getting badly hampered in the straight, and showed great guts to respond getting back at the finish suggesting he should be well up to this trip.
Any forecast rain would not harm either horses chance, but both are equally capable on a sounder surface.
0.75pts each-way Exchange Rate @9/1, 16:25 Navan, Sunday (five places, 1/4 odds with Bet365)
0.75pts each-way Newcross @9/1, 16:25 Navan, Sunday (five places, 1/4 odds with Bet365)
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