Consistent King's Odyssey bidding to bring long winless journey to an end

2.25 NewburyLadbrokes Handicap Chase | 2m4f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RUK

If any horse deserves to win a decent handicap it is the admirably consistent King's Odyssey, who bids to register his first win in nearly two years.

The rock-solid nine-year-old has registered seven placed efforts since that last victory, most notably when third to The Storyteller in the Grade 3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Plate at the Cheltenham Festival.

On his first start since, King's Odyssey chased home the progressive War Sound at Aintree this month.

Williams said: "King's Odyssey ran very well at Aintree where he was just caught by a well-handicapped rival. He's a lovely horse who's form is rock-solid and he never lets us down. I'd expect him to be bang there as he usually is."

Wishes going for four-timer

Beggar's Wishes must defy a career-high mark of 152 if he is to extend his winning sequence over fences to four.

After scoring at Market Rasen and Haydock in the spring, Peter Bowen's improver started where he had left off when beating Tolos on his reappearance at Newton Abbot last month.

Bowen said: "He's got top weight but seems to be improving so let's hope the handicapper has it right. The whole family are like that in that they take a bit of time to come good, but when they do they take off."

What they say

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, owners of Ballybolley
We were a bit disappointed with how he ran at Market Rasen last time and you could say he's on a retrieval mission.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Touch Kick
He's got a nice racing weight and it was nice to see him win first time over fences at Hereford this month, especially as he'd been off for a while. He jumps well and hopefully he can go forward from that.

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