Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Here’s an interesting interview from Racing UK on Saturday with the dominant owner Rich Ricci, who spoke freely and at length about his various high-profile horses in training with Willie Mullins. It’s encouraging to see the extent to which he has studied and appreciates the game, though personally I wouldn’t want any one owner to have a greater share of the top jumpers than he has just now. One tip re that video: don’t pause it. The RUK website seems to have an irritating habit of taking you to an advert if you try to unpause a video and then going back to the start of the video. Ugh.
If it’s an autumn Monday, it must be jump racing at Kempton and there’s a good card at the Sunbury track on Monday. Nicky Henderson is normally the man to be with there and his West Wizard looks unopposable in the opener but I shall take on his River Maigue in the beginners chase.
He would be the pick on his hurdles form and he hosed up in a novice hurdle at this track on Boxing Day when the going was even more testing than it will be today. He’s a winning Irish pointer and his rivals will be wary of busting their handicap marks by finishing up his tail, so he has plenty going for him, despite his history of problems.
But Fayette County (1.05) was also useful over hurdles last year, while threatening to take a big step forward when sent over the larger obstacles. At 5-1, I think his chance of turning over the favourite is being underestimated and Tim Vaughan should have him fit for this reappearance.
At a similar price, I’m tempted by Digital Rebellion (3.05) at Wolverhampton. There was some promise in his maidens in the summer and I can happily write off his handicap debut on soft ground at Epsom, for which he was dropped a couple of pounds. Given the form of the Charlie Appleby stable this autumn, he is likely to have made significant strides since he was last seen.
Tipping competition – a new week
Congratulations to kingklynch, who won last week’s competition on an impressive final score of +41, thanks to Grandads Horse (10-1) on Friday. He pipped 16heathermac01 (+35.50) and millreef (+30).
This week’s prize is a copy of the Racing Post Annual 2015, now in its fourth year and running to 208 colour pages packed with stories from this racing year and some of terrific photos of the greatest moments. Interviewees include Willie Mullins and Tony McCoy. If you don’t win, you can buy it here.
To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 2.45 Kempton, 3.25 Ludlow, 3.45 Kempton.
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!
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
