Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
When a classy young colt runs poorly, there always has to be a reason and connections of Estidhkaar have identified one in the wake of his Dewhurst flop almost a fortnight ago. The two-year-old has been diagnosed with a leg fracture and those close to him have intimated that he may have been feeling the injury even before the race.
“Estidhkaar has a small hairline fracture of his hock,” Angus Gold, who speaks for the colt’s owner, has said today through the website of the trainer Richard Hannon. “We felt something had to be wrong in the Dewhurst, because Paul Hanagan had rung me after he had worked the Sunday before and said how well the horse had gone.
“However, he did not move well going to post at Newmarket and then didn’t travel well in the race, which is not like him, so we suspected that all was not right, especially as he hadn’t been keen on leaving the stalls. Estidhkaar will have between four to six weeks’ box rest before going on the walker, but it is nothing major and he will be back next season.”
I’ll know my fate good and early today, as my main interest is in the sprint handicaps that open Nottingham’s penultimate card of the year. Hazelrigg (1.30), in the opener, is another of those horses that goes well with some cut and has dropped to a good mark by racing on a sounder surface for most of the year. Now nine, he’s lost a step or five but went close over this course and distance a fortnight ago and is fairly priced at 6-1.
Fredricka (2.00) is 7-1 for division two, which seems a mistake, given the progress this three-year-old filly is making as the season ends. She’s won three of her last four and was beaten only a length the other time. Of course, she’s up another 7lb but she goes well on the soft and I’d bet on an improved showing after a three-week break.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Trendsetter 13-2
Omid 13-2
Always Right 11-2
Tuesday
Trillerin Minella 7-1
Handiwork 9-2
Vaguely Spanish 7-1
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And our leader is:
Crasivo +9.50
... who has had Omid and Vaguely Spanish so far. JimmyDeuce (+8.50) and FinsburyPark (+7.50) are closest.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.20 Worcester, 4.10 Taunton, 4.30 Nottingham.
This week’s prize is This week’s prize is a copy of One Jump Ahead 2014, the annual preview book by Mark Howard which has built up such a good reputation over the years. In addition to the usual detail on unexposed horses worth following, this year’s edition includes an exclusive interview with Rich Ricci, who looks like becoming a dominant owner in jump racing. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
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. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
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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