Worcester preview: Clubs to come up Trumps

Clubs Are Trumps has a progressive profile over fences and can defy a further rise in the weights to land the hat-trick in the 2m 7f handicap chase that opens proceedings on this evening’s card at Worcester (17.10).

The Jonjo O’Neill trained gelding had won four of his seven starts over the larger obstacles, with the last of those coming over course and distance back in July.

Clubs Are Trumps made a bad mistake early doors before travelling well into the contest and staying on strongly after the last to get up and score by 3/4 of a length off a mark of 103.

Although now 6lb higher, the six-year-old was value for more than the winning margin and only just does enough to get the job done.

His previous three wins had all been by 1/2 a length or under, and the son of Flemensfirth is the type that the handicapper has a hard job to get to grips with.

To me, Clubs Are Trumps should be more than capable of winning of his current mark of 106 given his upwardly mobile profile, and with Will Kennedy in the saddle can take this to add another success to an already impressive CV.

In the 2m handicap hurdle (19.10), Wintour Leap looks weighted to gain a deserved first success.

The Robert Stephens trained filly has had just four outings over the obstacles and run really well to finish runner-up in her last two starts.

In the last of those over course and distance, the four-year-old stayed on well from off the pace to be beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Taradrewe.

It was an effort which suggested Wintour Leap should have little difficulty winning a race of this nature, and off an unchanged mark of 104 the daughter of Nayef is going to be tough to beat if taking another step forward.