Know The Score can triumph at Wetherby

The six-year-old has so far failed to reach the kind of heights his point-to-point win and subsequent £380,000 sale in 2017 suggested, but David Pipe has seemingly found the key to him now in tackling longer trips. Only third as a short-priced favourite on his hurdling bow at Chepstow in November, Know The Score fared much better on his second start when winning over two and a half miles at Hexham in December. He then tried two miles and seven furlongs, and while he was beaten 13 and a half lengths in third, Know The Score did not lose too much in defeat and looked as though he would appreciate softer ground than he encountered that day. With the weather having taken a wet turn recently, conditions might be more to his liking for a suitable test in West Yorkshire. Phil Kirby’s Top Ville Ben was a relatively early casualty in the RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last week and is back out quickly for the Watch Racing TV In Stunning HD Novices’ Chase. While he may have been a little out of his depth in the Cotswolds, he looked well above average when streaking to a 46-length win at this track over Christmas and he sets the standard. Theatre Legend is the pick in the Like Racing TV On Facebook Handicap Hurdle as he drops back to two miles. He was a short price first time up at Sedgefield when lack of match practice appeared to tell at the business end, but his third showed enough promise, while his second outing worked out quite well too, with the second having previously won in Grade Two company. It is interesting that Chris Grant has opted to ease back in distance, but given Theatre Legend’s keen-going attitude, it perhaps makes sense. Capone takes a bit of a drop in class in Huntingdon’s MansionBet Handicap Hurdle. Charlie Mann’s charge bumped into prolific winner and Grade One scorer Quel Destin at Haydock last time out and found him six lengths too good. That marked an improvement on their previous meeting when Quel Destin had finished 12 lengths ahead, and Capone certainly did not help his chances at Haydock with his very keen attitude in the preliminaries and during the early part of the race. Capone is clearly on the right path and an opening mark of 127 looks workable. Paul Nicholls enjoyed a fine Cheltenham Festival and Birds Of Prey can keep the bandwagon rolling, albeit at a lower level, in the Farmers Arms Combe Florey Rnli Maiden Hurdle at Taunton. The five-year-old has hit the bar on each of his last three starts, most recently finishing a five-length second in a Fontwell maiden in January. Good enough to finish fourth in the November Handicap on the Flat last year, Birds Of Prey certainly has the ability to be winning a race of this nature. LEE SOBOT’S SELECTIONS HUNTINGDON: 2.00 Emily Webb, 2.30 Captain McGarry, 3.05 Black Anthem, 3.40 Capone (next best), 4.10 My Turgeon, 4.45 Uncle Bobby, 5.15 Roque It. TAUNTON: 2.20 Birds Of Prey (treble), 2.50 Dollnamix, 3.25 Flight To Milan, 4.00 Oxwich Bay, 4.30 Pobbles Bay, 5.05 Gonnabegood. WETHERBY: 2.10 Theatre Legend, 2.40 Top Ville Ben, 3.15 KNOW THE SCORE (NAP), 3.50 No Trumps, 4.20 Caraline, 4.55 Sheshoon Sonny.