Aather is a horse I have always held in high regard, and I think he has an outstanding chance of landing the today’s Imperial Cup at Sandown (3.05).
Alan Fleming’s five-year-old showed plenty of promise last season and started off this campaign with an eye-catching third to L’Homme De Nuit over today’s course and distance when looking big and burly and in need of the run.
He stayed on really well that day without getting in a telling blow, and then showed how he had benefitted from the run when winning a decent handicap at Ffos Las without breaking sweat.
Timmy Murphy rode him with supreme confidence that day, and after leading on the bit at the last let out an inch of reign to win cleverly by just under two lengths.
He then went to Cheltenham and looked likely to hose up when leading on the bridle at the last only to idle and get caught close home by Arctic Magic.
If Timmy Murphy could ride that race again then I am sure that he would hold on to Aather for much longer than he did and produce him at the very last minute. To my eyes he was by far the best horse in the race and is in effect a winner without a penalty.
The handicapper has not been kind in putting him up 7lb for that effort, but if he had won it would have been much more and he could still be well ahead of the assessor given his style of racing.
Another plus is that Aather is best when coming off a strong pace, and he looks guaranteed to get that in a contest where they traditional go hell for leather from flag fall.
If Murphy can time things right then I think Aather will win this en route to a crack at the County Hurdle next week where he could pick up a £75,000 bonus put up by Paddy Power for any horse that wins today and goes on to score at the Festival.
Recommended bet: 5pts each-way Aather (8-1 Betfred, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes)
