2.50 - Coral Cup

Maxxum was very progressive last year after he joined the Elliott stable on a rating of 99. Second of  21 on his debut for the stable at 5/4 fav, soon progressed one better when winning a 2m6f HcH at Navan off 103. Pumped up to 120 and 3m and won a 25k Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown by an obscene 16 length. On the back of that was made 7/4 fav for the 53K 3m HcH at the Dublin festival but underperformed. Was made 9/2 2nd fav for the  Pertemps final and although trading down from 9.2 into 2.2 making a big move around the field but made a mistake at the last and faded up the hill.  Tried chasing for a couple of starts, but returned to hurdles for his last 4 starts. 5th of 16 (trading 26 into 6) at Navan in a 53k HcH, then PU in the Pertemps qualifier he won the previous year when made 6/1 5th fav. Bounce back at the Dublin festival in the race he had been 7/4 fav the previous year, this time winning at 28/1. Far from disgraced when a 15/2 shot at Naas dropped back to 2m6f beaten 12l (the 2nd that day is 15/2 for the Pertemps final) trading down to 2.03 from 11.

As usual he’s no shoe in, and the drop down to 2m5f might not suit, but at 40/1 EW 1/5 first 6 with several bookies he look the sort who could run well.