Carole's Legacy to strike for Nicky Henderson

Carole's Legacy

The strike-rates of trainers, and just how relevant they may be, is becoming a bit of a hot topic just now.

Paul Nicholls has gone on the offensive to those who have suggested that a below-par spell this month is a sign of problems in his yard. But, while a lack of winners can be nothing too much to worry about in the long run for the champion trainer, strike-rates can still be a useful guide in the short term for backers trying to gauge a yard’s form.

Nicky Henderson currently has a strike-rate of 42% for January – which also means that 58% of his runners this month have been beaten – but the statistic does underpin the claims of Carole's Legacy in the Grade Two 1942 Was A Vintage Year Mares' Hurdle at Ascot.

She has been in excellent form in staying hurdles this season and lost nothing in defeat, when dropped in trip and switched to fences, to finish three-quarters of a length second to Tartak at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Henderson brings his Triumph Hurdler winner of last season, Soldatino, back in the Bet With Your Mobile At victorchandler.com Holloway's Hurdle. However, a 309-day absence means he might just need the run along with the talented Walkon who will be running for the first time in 660 days. Sire Collonges looks an interesting prospect but would appear to lack the experience off the back of just one run – albeit a winning one – in France.

Experience is one thing that Lough Derg does not lack on his 58th career start. However, he had been lacking signs of his best form but that was supplied when he finished six lengths second to Big Buck’s in the Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury last month. Even allowing for the fact that Big Buck’s was not pushed to win it was still an encouraging performance for David Pipe’s horse who comes into this race 11lbs lower in the weight than when a good third in the corresponding contest a year ago.

In the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase the most telling statistic is the level of superiority accorded to Master Minded by the official handicapper, which gives the Nicholls runner between 15 and 29lbs in hand over his eight rivals.

Paul Wheeler

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