Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
How interesting to read this line from Colin Tizzard in today’s Racing Post, with regard to Cue Card’s issues in recent seasons: “King’s Theatre horses are renowned for wind trouble”. They are not so renowned that I’d heard that suggestion before but trainers are generally cagey about the problems that stallions may be passing on because clearly that is commercially sensitive chatter — not so much in the case of King’s Theatre, though, because he died five years ago.
Other noted sons of his are Captain Chris, Menorah, Riverside Theatre, Southfield Theatre, Kings Palace and L’Ami Serge. I suppose if he did tend to pass on wind problems, that might explain why some of his kids showed lots of promise before becoming disappointing and there are certainly a couple of suspects in that list.
Any wind problems among the runners for today’s Devon National will be thoroughly exposed by three and three-quarter miles around Exeter, so hopefully no such issues affect Return Spring (3.55), still available at 8-1 after early support at 11-1 in places. He comes from the Philip Hobbs yard that has had such a good season and continues to be among the winners.
This nine-year-old has yet to contribute and is only one from nine over fences in his career but he has been highly tried on occasion and I can certainly forgive him for his flop in the Welsh National on ground that was barely raceable. He won around Exeter as a novice, giving weight and a beating to a horse that won its next two, but a handful of defeats since then have caused his mark to slip by a stone.
He gets in here on 127, half a stone below the mark from which he won over hurdles at Cheltenham a couple of years ago. He is worth a spin here in first-time cheekpieces, having gone well for a long way in the four-miler at the last Festival when blinkers were tried. His stamina isn’t a sure thing for this trip, so you might like to get out in running if he’s odds-on over the third-last.
At Warwick, I’ll give another chance to Deep Trouble (3.45) at 9-2, a bad mistake at Market Rasen last time having denied him a first win over fences. The nap is Boxing Shadows (7.15) at Wolves tonight. I thought Les Eyre’s runner would be shorter than 7-4 after two comfortable wins at Lingfield last month, since he still remains below his peak winning mark.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Swing Hard 5-4
Boom The Groom 7-2
W Six Times 15-8
Tuesday
Retrieve The Stick 7-2
Royal Vacation 7-4
Wolowitz 13-8
Wednesday
Fingerontheswitch 9-4
Saint Are 10-1
Trojan Rocket 4-1
Thursday
Jokers And Rogues 5-2
Roxyfet 9-1
Hold Firm 4-1
And our leader is. . .
Crasivo +18.50
... who had the lead even before picking Roxyfet yesterday. Other good scores: Ellandback +10.75, moidadem +9.26, GForce1 +5.25, AndieAndson +4, Bacciodilupo +3.50, William36 +3.13, Geoff Staddon +3, Lindsey6677 +3, Stephen Peter Phillips +2.88, knottlamag +2.50.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.55 Exeter, 4.15 Warwick, 5.00 Exeter.
This week’s prize, offered by 32Red bookmakers, is a £25 ante-post bet on any race (for which betting is available) at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. You can see 32Red’s Cheltenham markets 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 -12.
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 (TODAY).
Good luck!
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