Mucuna – 6.40 Salisbury – 1m 2F Handicap – 66/1 Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, BetVictor – 4 Places – 1 Point Each Way.
Milton Harris has burst back onto the racing scene with some fine wins over the jumps this winter, but it’s not just one or two horses grabbing the headlines. He has been buying well and has been getting the most out of his horses.
Mucuna is just a young unexposed three year old. She was backward last year and looked a handicap project, just getting the necessary runs into her for experience and obtaining a nice low mark in the process.
Her sire is German-bred, a son of the super sire Monson, who breeds big strong sorts who progress and will appreciate a minimum of 1m to 1m 4F. On the dam’s side, she is also bred to be at her best over 1m 2F.
Mucuna ran predominantly over 6F last year, and on her recent seasonal and handicap debut was stepped up to 1 mile, where she was dropped in from a wide draw, settled in rear off a slow pace and ran on well in the closing stages to finish in midfield. All her best work was in the last 100 yards.
That will have done her the world of good and now she steps up to 1m 2F we can expect to see some improvement.
The Salisbury track has a long home straight and Mucuna looks like a galloper, so I’m happy she will be doing her best work at the end of the race.
I just hope she isn’t settled too far back this time. Ideally, she pops out and gains a handy position tracking the leaders.
Like many in this 3-year-old field, they are relatively unexposed at the trip, but none will have better potential to improve than Mucuna from a basement mark of 46, and she has the benefit of that recent promising pipe opener.
Most of the similar types to her at in single figures, having their potential priced in, but we can grab 66/1 with Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook and BetVictor and this must be taken.
I, therefore, recommend 1 point each way at 66/1 – 4 places.
She is still value at 20/1.
