Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Happy New Year! And a very happy, traditional New Year’s Day to those of you who like a bit of Strauss from Vienna and a bit of racing from Cheltenham, possibly accompanied by throbbing temples.
I can also offer you a happy new ‘trainer form’ table, after a two-week break caused by Christmas Day falling on a Monday. And clearly a fine festive season has been enjoyed by Nick Williams, who has reached the giddy heights of a 45% strike-rate in the past fortnight.
Admittedly, that includes two races in which Le Rocher beat two other finishers, and worked pretty hard to do that on the second occasion. Then again, Williams’s handful of defeats include a third place in the King George by Tea For Two. He can fairly be said to be flying.
There is more merit, really, in Nicky Henderson’s 33% from 46 runners, an amazing rate of success for one of the more competitive stages of the season. Look at some of the big names at the other end, where the Tizzard and Hobbs yard languish without a winner in the past fortnight and where Ben Pauling, who topped this table in recent weeks, has dropped to 4%.
Philip Hobbs admitted to us yesterday that all has not been entirely well with his string this past month, which may not have come as news to anyone who has been tracking this table since it started a month ago.
Anyway, here’s the new table:
Nick Williams 45% (11)
Nicky Henderson 33% (46)
Donald McCain 28% (29)
Alan King 21% (28)
Venetia Williams 21% (14)
Harry Fry 20% (15)
Rebecca Curtis 20% (5)
Kim Bailey 20% (20)
Warren Greatrex 19% (21)
Tom George 19% (16)
Nicky Richards 18% (17)
Kerry Lee 18% (11)
Gary Moore 17% (47)
Paul Nicholls 17% (29)
Fergal O’Brien 15% (20)
Neil Mulholland 13% (31)
Charlie Longsdon 12% (17)
Dan Skelton 11% (36)
Brian Ellison 10% (29)
Tim Vaughan 10% (21)
Ian Williams 10% (20)
Nigel Twiston-Davies 9% (32)
Evan Williams 9% (22)
Peter Bowen 9% (11)
David Pipe 8% (24)
Malcolm Jefferson 7% (14)
Sue Smith 4% (25)
Ben Pauling 4% (23)
Jonjo O’Neill 4% (23)
Colin Tizzard 0% (29)
Lucinda Russell 0% (22)
Philip Hobbs 0% (18)
Oliver Sherwood 0% (14)
Emma Lavelle 0% (8)
Dr Richard Newland 0% (7)
Each Monday through the core jumps season, we’ll monitor the relative success of 35 major jumps stables. The percentage figure is their win strike-rate for the last fortnight, while their total number of runners in that time is in brackets.
As I type, Hobbs has the favourite for the opener at Cheltenham in Springtown Lake and this is clearly a useful type, judged on his Grade Two second last time. But 9-2 could be big about Onefortheroadtom (12.15), a points winner who should relish this thorough test of stamina. The form of his Exeter success in October has worked out fairly well and Worcester was too sharp for him last time.
Willoughby Court sets a fair standard in the Dipper and Yanworth will clearly be hard to beat if he brushes up his jumping. But I’ll take 9-2 about Ballyandy (1.25), who has apparently had a couple of hold-ups since his Perth win in September but is said to be fine now. He has been consistently excellent in bumpers and over hurdles and I think he could have the legs of his rivals here. Heavy going is no problem.
Another winner of the Betfair Hurdle, Agrapart (3.10) is backable at 6-1 for the Relkeel, which he won last year on a similar surface. He didn’t fare very well in two autumn French races but he doesn’t have many peaks to each season and this might be the right time to catch him, bearing in mind the form of Nick Williams.
I’m a bit surprised to get 6-1 about Weyburn (2.45) for a five-runner affair at Catterick, the grey having taken well to fences when scoring at Southwell a fortnight ago. He still looks very well treated to me on just a 5lb higher mark.
Southwell: 12.05 Watching Spirits 12.35 Helen Sherbet 1.10 Gabrial’s Star 1.45 Tilly Trotter 2.20 Florencio 2.55 Mama Africa 3.30 Mr Coco Bean
Cheltenham: 12.15 Onefortheroadtom 12.50 Russe Blanc 1.25 Ballyandy 2.00 Sametegal 2.35 Red Rising 3.10 Agrapart 3.45 Romeo Brown
Catterick: 12.25 Dieg Man 1.00 Today Please 1.35 Impulsive Star 2.10 Paper Roses 2.45 Weyburn (nap) 3.20 Bocasien Desbois
Musselburgh: 12.30 Je Suis Charlie 1.05 Cresswell Legend 1.40 Max Ward 2.15 Dear Sire 2.50 Benny’s Secret 3.25 Misfits
Exeter: 12.40 Another Crick 1.15 Dusky Lark 1.50 Storm Control (nb) 2.25 Western Climate 3.00 Report To Base 3.35 Lord Bryan 4.05 Summit Like Herbie
Fakenham: 12.45 Vive Le Roi 1.20 Oakidoki 1.55 Fixed Rate 2.30 Minella Gathering 3.05 Norse Light 3.40 Isis Blue
