Tuesday's best bets, by Greg Wood
The curtain comes down on racing at Folkestone and it could well be that the trainer responsible for sending out the last winner at the Kent track is Tim Vaughan, who has Landenstown Star (3.30) in the appropriately named "Save the Last Race" For Eastwell Manor Handicap Chase.
The selection might have won at Hereford, which closed on Sunday, earlier in December but for mistakes at the last two fences. He had to settle for second spot, five lengths behind the winner Doubletoilntrouble but can go one better, granted a better round of jumping.
The six-furlong handicap at Kempton Park on 3 December appeared to be just another midwinter sprint handicap to keep turnover rolling when the weather was closing in on turf racing. But it was run in a very solid time, the four horses that have emerged from it so far have finished first, second, third and fourth, and what makes it of particular relevance today is that the first five horses home are all out at Lingfield Park this afternoon.
Fortrose Academy (3.20), who won the Kempton race off a mark of 63, is certainly worth backing off just 3lb higher to confirm the form with the runner-up Lastkingofscotland, who is 2lb higher himself. Speak The Truth (2.50), fourth home at Kempton, has been dropped a pound since, while the most solid bet of the three looks to be Welease Bwian (1.50), up just 1lb from the Kempton race, which was his first start since September.
At Catterick, Dystonia's Revenge (1.40) is worth backing to win the handicap chase for the second year in a row. He was perhaps a little fortunate with the way the race unfolded 12 months ago, but always goes well at Catterick and returned to form, pretty much out of the blue, at the last meeting here.
Our weekly tipping competitions are suspended for the Festive period and will return on Monday 7 January
