Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: An Tobar to pull it out of the Fire

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty casts his expert eye over Sunday’s Grade 1 action from Naas, as well as the Sussex National from Plumpton.

Naas, Sunday

BRANDY LOVE (12:30pm) makes her second start over fences after finishing second at Gowran on chase debut. She was beaten at odds-on there, but that was at a time when a lot of Willie’s [Mullins] were needing their first run badly. You would expect her to step up on that and she should be able to get off the mark.

Willie has won this novice chase (1:00pm) for the last four years with Appreciate It, Blue Lord, Energumene and Cash Back so it’s a race he likes to target. MISTER POLICEMAN only scraped home in his novice chase in Fairyhouse back in November, but like Brandy Love, he might also have needed that run. Prior to that in April, he beat Cash Back, who was 142 rated over hurdles, with Fils D’oudaries back in fourth, which is a very good level of form. If he can translate that form to this race, he would be very hard to beat. Sa Fureur benefited from the fall of Hunter’s Yarn at Fairyhouse on his last start, while Quilixios was well beaten when stepped up to three miles last time. Quilixios also only just won by a neck on his chase debut, and he would need to step up on that here.

A horse that caught my eye at Leopardstown over Christmas was SNAKE OIL (1:30pm), when finishing four lengths third behind The Folkes Tiara. That was his first run in a handicap, he travelled really well, and to me he finished like a horse that could progress further.

The Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle (2:00pm) on Sunday looks an intriguing race. Firefox has been very impressive to date, including when beating the well-regarded Ballyburn last time, but his form ties in closely with Ile Atlantique, as there was only three quarters of a length between them in a bumper at Fairyhouse last April. They’re difficult to split after their impressive maiden hurdle wins this season, but a horse I like at a price is AN TOBAR. He was well-fancied in the Royal Bond, when finishing third, less than three lengths behind Farren Glory, which is form that’s working out well. He was ridden close to the pace that day which I don’t think suited him, and he can be ridden more patiently making this step up to two and a half miles.

Plumpton, Sunday

With all the rain around, the Sussex National (2:50pm) is sure to be a real test. Foxboro won well when stepping up in trip at Exeter last time, but the one that I’m coming down on is GOLD CLERMONT. He was impressive when winning by 14 lengths at Fakenham last time and has good course form to his name, having been second in April and won twice back in March at Plumpton. A return to patient waiting tactics seemed to serve him well last time and hopefully will do again here.