EVAN Williams has raised concerns over the ground for Betfair Hurdle favourite Mack The Man.
The progressive six-year-old won a hot handicap at Sandown in December and has been well-backed for the 155,000 contest in recent days.
Evan Williams is worried about the drying ground for Mack The Man
He heads the betting at 5-1 with the big-race sponsors, with tearaway Ascot winner Not So Sleepy next at 6-1.
But the ground was bottomless at Sandown when he beat the likes of Protektorat and Song For Someone, and Glamorgan-based Williams reckons drying conditions are a concern.
However, he is also likely to saddle the lightly-raced Quoi De Neuf (14-1), who was brought down on his latest start.
And Williams says a sounder surface will be right up that horse’s street.
Williams said: “I’ll be brutal, one needs good ground, and one needs softer ground.
“So I’m in that tricky situation. The ground is drying like hell, but they could have a potential downpour on Saturday.
“So it looks like it could be the right thing to leave them both in there and have a crack.
“If we get rain it could suit one and if we don’t, it could suit the other.
“The ground will be beautiful there – but if it’s drying, it will definitely favour Quoi De Neuf.
“And if we got that rain on Saturday then it would definitely play heavily to the strengths of Mack The Man.”
There will be a maximum of 24 runners in the Betfair Hurdle, with declarations made at 10am on Thursday.
