Back-to-lay Little Jon and Acapella Bourgeois
3.50 Ffos Las
Pearl Swan initially caught the eye in this race with his in-running trading record and being a winner here in November but this front-runner is not going to get his own way up front in this race which is loaded with pace. Little Jon could benefit from a pace melt-down if the pace horses do take each other on.
He was rated as high as 143 less than a year ago but comes in to today’s race racing off just 130. He has traded below at least half his BSP in-running in 5 of his last 6 races, so he is clearly on a good mark which should see in make an impact in-running; he currently trades around 4.20 for a back-to-lay.
4.10 Navan
Acapella Bourgeois is a really quick front-runner who looks likely to get an easy time of it in the lead as the dominant pace in this grade 2 novice chase. He is a former grade 2 winner over hurdles and finished fourth in a 3 mile grade 1 novice hurdle at Punchestown behind Bellshill, beaten only 5 lengths.
After a sketchy start over fences he finally came good last time out over 2m4f here at Navan, after leading all the way. After dominating and leading early in the race the field caught up with him which saw him drift out to 11.0 in-running from his BSP of 3.28, but he had plenty in hand to reassert and win convincingly. He has traded to at least 20% of his BSP in running in 4 of his last 5 races and looks a decent front-runner to back-to-lay in this race; he currently trades around 7.40.
