PNicholls

I'm hoping for improvement from a trio of runners on Tuesday's Betfair-sponsored card at Taunton.

14:20 - Qozak
Has disappointed me slightly in two runs since we sent him chasing this season, but perhaps he has just been mixing it in very good company - he has twice been behind a class act in Rock Noir at Exeter and Warwick. But I am hoping that 2m3f on a right-handed track will see him post improved form on his third start over fences. Certainly, he seems to love Taunton, being three from three here, including showing 140+ form when winning a handicap hurdle by 10 lengths last January. So he definitely has a chance.

14:50 - Rock Of Deauville
I am becoming firmly of the opinion that there's a marked difference between horses that like soft ground on the Flat and those who act on it over jumps; National Hunt winter ground seems to find so many of them out. Take Rock Of Deauville, for example. He has winning soft ground form on the level in the French provinces and was pleasing me at home prior to his hurdling debut at Hereford in November, and went off the 11-8 favourite. But he disappointed when over a seven length third there, on ground probably deeper than the official good to soft going suggested. My hope is that today's better ground will see him in a better light. But with the likes of Secret World and Shammick Boy in opposition, he has his work well and truly cut out. We have just withdrawn Dark Lover from the race as he fell schooling this morning and was lame this evening.

15:50 - Teshali
People may look at this race and think this looks like a 'plot' horse here. But don't fall into that trap. I really thought he would win first time out at Chepstow and he has disappointed me in his two subsequent starts as well. But, again on better ground, I am just hoping that he can show improvement over hurdles. Certainly, a mark of 108 is fair when you look at his French Flat form, where he was a 90+ performer, including when winning on his final start there over 1m3f at Saint Cloud. But if he continues on as he has done over hurdles, he may not even win off a mark of 90. Let's hope the expected better ground here today is the key to unlock his talent.

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