Absinthe has been shaping as if ready to strike and makes plenty of appeal at 10/1 in the 3.15 at Nottingham.
The five-year-old progressed into useful handicapper last season, winning at Sandown and Windsor.
He made a mockery of his mark of 83 in the latter, when heavily eased to beat Urban Space by two lengths in the soft over 1m 2f.
Walter Swinburn's charge did little in his first two starts this season, but has been placed in solid handicaps on his last three outings and deserves to get his head in front.
His consistency has seen the handicapper put him up to a mark of 89, but given the way he won at Windsor last year under similar conditiosn to those that he faces today I feel he is more than capable of going in off that rating.
With the rain getting into the ground he will relish the underfoot conditions, and from a good draw in stall 3 a big run looks assured.
I had him priced up at no bigger than 7/1 on my tissue, so the 10/1 on offer looks more than generous.
Recommended bet: 2pts each-way Absinthe (10/1 generally available - BOG firms)
