OZZIE THE OSCAR went extremely close in the Haldon Gold Cup last month when just getting pipped by perennial Grade 1 performer God’s Own, who was benefitting from a lenient mark. This son of Oscar is rated 145 over hurdles and opened the campaign with a decent third to eventual Greatwood Hurdle runner-up Silver Streak.
The selection ran a blinder on his opening chase start at Exeter and other than one significant jumping error down the back straight – which cost him a length or two – he would have arguably won the Grade 2 event.
He had the likes of San Benedeto well-beaten seven lengths behind him. Although there’s a 3lb swing for that performance, I’m not convinced the placings will reverse having also been slammed by Ozzie The Oscar last season as well.
Philip Hobbs’s seven-year-old finished third in the County Hurdle in 2017 from the likes of Arctic Fire and L’Ami Serge, so has always looked like he possesses that bit of quality.
He brings some fairly solid looking form and Ozzie The Oscar could be a Grade horse running in a handicap paricularly with this representing just his seventh career chase start. Needless to say he remains unexposed. He has to shoulder the burden of top-weight, but he looks to have plenty going for him with his preferred ground conditions.
Cyrname looks to be a bit short in the market now even though I expect him to come on for his first run of the season with half a mile less to travel and he should be in the mix at the finish.
In fact, he and Speredek are likely to go off pretty quick in front, but both prefer more cut in the ground. Ozzie The Oscar is also often ridden prominently and the strong pace could benefit him and others who come from off it.
Modus would be a likely type in that context and he will be well-fancied, but he’s not the most reliable and the selection looks to have a bit of each-way juice in his price at 15/2 with favourable each-eay terms on offer from the bookies.
1pt each-way Ozzie The Oscar @15/2, 15:15 Ascot, Saturday (1/5 odds, six places with William Hill)
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