Cotton makes it three on the spin
ByFirst season jumps handler John Ferguson has already made a tremendous impression in operating at an astounding 43% strike rate so far this term and in Cotton Mill looks to have another performer that will prove more than worthy of taking his chance at the Cheltenham Festival in March, judging by his third win in a row in landing the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at Warwick in impressive fashion, writes Elliot Slater.
Rated 88 on the Flat when joining Ferguson from the yard of William Jarvis this autumn having been absent for over a year from racecourse duty, the lightly raced five-year-old has proved a revelation over timber since winning a minor contest at Hereford on his hurdling bow in November, beating Sainglend in pleasing manner by seven-lengths. He went on to score in facile fashion at Fakenham, hacking up by 22-lengths when landing the odds-on under regular pilot Jack Quinlan, before being sent to Warwick to contest the two-mile-five-furlong contest against much stiffer opposition. Even people following the best Cheltenham Gold Cup odds online will have been impressed.
Contesting a race that has produced some high-class winners in recent years, Cotton Mill was never far from the pace before being sent on by Quinlan to lead at the second from home. This time however the son of Tiger Hill had to really work for his victory as Ambion Wood refused to go down without a fight, and in the end Ferguson’s gelding showed serious resolve to hold on by half-a-length, the pair coming nine-lengths clear of the third horse home, Same Difference.
Cut from 33/1 to a general offer of around 20/1 for the Neptune Hurdle at Cheltenham in a couple of months time, Ferguson’s talented hurdler will have to step up again if he is to lower the colours of the hot favourite Fingal Bay, but the chances are that we have still yet to see the very best of him and he looks a very interesting contender for what is sure to be a fascinating affair.
Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide
Cotton makes it three on the spin
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