Imaginary Dragon on fire at Uttoxeter

Trainers that hit form in the early part of the year are well worth following and we benefitted from this process with the gamble on the Parkinson Smith trained The Big Breac on Thursday

Another yard that comes into its own in January is the Berwick based yard of Sandy Thomson.

2 of his last 7 runners have won and the yard sends one runner Imaginary Dragon to Uttoxeter to contest the Novices 3m 2f handicap chase at 3.42.

The yard have a great record at the track from a limited number of runners. 3 winners from just 8 runners since the start of the 2021/22 season, which may well have been 4 from 8 but for one runner unseating, is a great return for a small largely underrated trainer.

Imaginary Dragon was an eyecatcher last time out on his second start over the large obstacles in a 2m Novice Chase at Ayr behind the useful Hombre De Guerre who followed up in a Class 3 event earlier this week.

Sent out in front Imaginary Dragon was distracted by being out on his own and slowed dramtically at the first two fences losing 20L in ground. Usually that spells an end to a race, but from that point he jumped really well and despite having to make up the ground lost, ran on to be 2nd beaten just over 6L. The real key to the performance is that 2m is completely inadequate for the 8yo. His best performance over hurdles was when winning a Handicap Hurdle off a mark of 110 at Kelso by over 9L beating Hashtag Boum rated 114 but now rated 127.

Before that win he had finished second in a 2m handicap hurdle. After the Kelso win he finished 5th in a Class 2 at Mussleburgh beaten less than 4L on Good to Soft. In second place that day was the now 152 rated Cheltenham Festival bound Springwell Bay.

On Saturday he goes up in trip to 3m2f but on his runs over 2m6f over hurdles, this should bring about more improvement. He gets in off just 114 and is the only runner at the track for both Sandy Thomson and regular rider Ryan Mania.

With the leading yards of Oliver Greenall and Lucinda Russell running fancied rivals we may get a juicy price of around 5/1.

2pt win bet Imaginary Dragon 3.42 Uttoxeter.