Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Alas, but predictably, Huntingdon’s card today has been lost to the frost, which means the race in which Kotkikova was due to make her British debut has now been abandoned twice. It was originally due to be staged at Ascot last Saturday. Evidently, God does not love a mares’ hurdle.
I also fretted just a little about tomorrow’s main meeting last night, when I stepped outside in the Cheltenham area at around 10pm and was immediately assaulted by the coldest wind I’ve met this far south. It’s milder this morning and the temperature isn’t due to go below 5C tonight, so all should be well, but I’m glad they put the frost covers down at jump racing’s headquarters earlier this week.
Anyway, we have two all-weather cards PLUS jump racing at Doncaster and Taunton today, which is enough action for anyone on a Friday. My best wishes for a safe journey are with connections of Percy Street, who was presumably on the road to Huntingdon when that meeting was called off. He has an alternative engagement in the second race at Taunton, so they’ll have done a quick whirl at a roundabout somewhere and headed to the south-west.
Of most interest at Taunton is The Mythologist (2.15), who looks useless on his hurdles form, which is why he gets to run off a mark of 94 today on just his second start in a handicap. But today’s race is over fences and that, together with a step up to almost three miles, should bring out a better side in him, considering he was quite a prolific points winner in 2014 and 2015.
I got all excited when I saw a betting forecast of 14-1 last night. I’m afraid that forecast was simply wrong and the current 11-2 is as big as he’s actually been since betting opened.
The Mythologist comes from the Tim Vaughan yard that has had four winners in the past fortnight. Vaughan also fields Galros Lady, another multiple points winner. She hacked up on her handicap chase debut in November but is not so well treated in consequence, having been raised a stone in the weights.
Vaughan also has an interesting runner in the opener. Matts Legacy (1.15) was well beaten in his bumper last summer but was fancied that day and raced prominently for a while. He’s bred to be better over hurdles and perhaps we might see some of that ability today, with the yard in such good form.
He’s 20-1 because the market is taken up with a couple of ex-Sir Mark Prescott types. But Celestial Path didn’t have the ideal prep run for this when pulled up on sapping ground in the Tolworth, having been run ragged by quality rivals, while High Secret is running for the first time in 15 months. I’m not tempted by a short price about either of them, so Matts Legacy will be my tilt at a big winner.
An amateur riders’ race at Lingfield? Shudder. But there might be something in Attain (4.10), four times a course winner in his days with Julia Feilden and still on a fair mark.
He showed renewed promise when staying on into fourth last time and looks ready for this step up in trip. I’m frankly surprised to see he’s 15-2, given that he’s to be ridden by Simon Walker, always the first guy to look for in these races.
Friday’s tips
Doncaster
1.25 Midnight Cowboy 1.55 Behind The Wire
2.25 Calarules 2.55 Baraza 3.25 Wealth Des Mottes
3.55 Aux Ptits Soins 4.25 Wenyerreadyfreddie
Lingfield
1.10 Wily Rumpus 1.40 Dandy Flame 2.10 Grand Facile
2.40 Fashion Business 3.10 Krazy Paving 3.40 Ocean Drive 4.10 Attain (nb)
Newcastle
5.45 Safe Voyage 6.15 Van Velde 6.45 Fredricka 7.15 Leonard Thomas
7.45 Harry Holland 8.15 Sugar Town
Taunton
1.15 Matts Legacy 1.45 Percy Street 2.15 The Mythologist (nap) 2.45 Dolos 3.15 Amber Gambler 3.45 Yur Next 4.15 Mad Jack Mytton
Huntingdon ABANDONED
