Today’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The news that Jamie Spencer had performed an about-turn on his impending retirement and will ride instead as a freelance next season was one of those ‘shock’ stories that did not really surprise anyone at all. I have a recording somewhere on my phone from a couple of days before the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita in which Spencer insists that, when his mind is made up about something, it’s made up, and there was no chance of any last-minute rethink. I didn’t really believe him and nor did anyone else, because he clearly had plenty more to give, a point he underlined with a brilliant ride on Toast Of New York in the Classic shortly afterwards.
He might do well to avoid At The Races today, though, at least if he is keen to avoid a U-turn on his U-turn. Spencer has seen more of Wolverhampton than of any other racecourse over the last five years, taking 372 rides there, but today’s card is not much of an advertisement for all-weather racing, with a seller, a claimer, two maidens and a divided handicap for amateur riders.
If there is a bet on the card, it is probably Topaling (3.40) in the 14-furlong handicap, while the return to action of the prolific La Estrella in the seller will also attract some interest, but the cards at Plumpton and Ffos Las, modest as they are, have a fair bit more to offer.
My original nap, Volt Face is a non-runner at Ffos Las, but Oscar Sunset (3.50) should go well in the two-mile handicap hurdle and Fishing Bridge (1.30) makes some appeal at around 6-1 in the handicap chase. Tango De Juilly (12.40) can continue Venetia Williams’s decent run of form at Plumpton, where King Edmund (1.15) also has strong claims.
Anyone heading to the Sussex track, or simply following the action from work, might like to give a listen to Plumpton’s innovative overnight podcast before they do.
Tipping competition — a new week
Congratulations to chris1623, who got up on the line to win last week’s competition, Any Currency (8-1) taking him to a final score of +29.75. That matched Rivercity’s score after he picked Ulzana’s Raid but our tie-breaking rules mean that chris1623 wins, having posted his Friday tips hours before Rivercity posted his.
This week’s prize is a copy of McCoy: In The Frame, a collection of photographs of Tony McCoy as taken during his career by the Racing Post’s award-winning snapper, Edward Whitaker. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 2.40 Ffos Las, 2.55 Plumpton, 3.25 Plumpton.
NEXT MONDAY we’ll have our annual Christmas racing quiz, with prizes on offer for the winner AND the runner-up.
Questions will go live at 1pm and we should have a result within about half an hour, so don’t be late!
Here’s last year’s quiz, for interest’s sake.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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