Huntingdon Placepot: Monday April 1

Nicky Henderson trains one of today's bankers

Choosing which meeting to attempt on a Bank Holiday Monday can be tougher than the perm, but eventually Keith Melrose has settled on Huntingdon.

13:40 - Temptation to bank on the in-form Midnight Belle is resisted as she flopped when asked to follow up her first success of the season turned out quickly, so we'll need a backup option. The most logical choice is probably Sail And Return, who hasn't been the most consistent this season but was on better ground last spring and returns to such conditions today. He also shaped as though back in form when third last time, yet has been dropped 2 lb for that effort.

14:10 - There's an opportunity for a banker in leg two, and although the creature in question is fairly short we're not going to look this particular gift horse in the mouth. Who's Cross was near-useful in bumpers for Willie Mullins and looks destined for a similar level over hurdles judging by his winning debut for Nicky Henderson at Ludlow last month. The resulting penalty shouldn't prove all that significant and Who's Cross looks all fairly nailed on for the first three.

14:40 - We're putting in another banker for leg three, but this time it's not the Nicky Henderson runner. Springinherstep is admittedly a better prospect than Ubaldo des Menhies, but the latter has been there and done it more often, finishing second to a couple of above-average sorts on his last two starts. He might well do the same today, but that'd be enough to carry our money through.

15:10 - A two-pronged attack is required in this handicap chase, for all the near-ideal field size of nine. The Musical Guy goes in first, simply because he's well handicapped on his best novice form and represents a yard in form. His jumping has been a bit shaky up to now, however, so we'll need Tafika to back him up. Tafika has run well on his last three starts, finishing second in the Grand Military Gold Cup last time, and if he can get round safely for Captain Max Chenery then he's probably a safe conveyance for Paul Moloney.

15:40 - Leg five is arguably the toughest of the lot, being a low-grade handicap with no solid horses among the 10 runners. King's Road has run well more often than not this season, which in relative terms is amply good enough to get into our perm, while the normally reprehensible Nicky Nutjob has won two of his last four yet is probably ideally suited by this slightly less testing ground.

16:10 -We'd have taken three in leg five, were it not for the fact that leg six is a four-runner affair. We can only really rule out the struggling Hoback Junction, leaving us with Escort'Men, Private Equity and Ugo to see us home should we reach the last leg.

Selections:
13:40 - 1, 5
14:10 - 1
14:40 - 1
15:10 - 3, 6
15:40 - 5, 10
16:10 - 1, 3, 4
= 24 lines