Friday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
There have been a couple of bits of Significant Weather. The first of these is not, in my view, terrific news for anyone who has taken odds-on about Air Force Blue in tomorrow’s 2000 Guineas, since there was 8mm of overnight rain at Newmarket, where the going is now good to soft.
We don’t yet have an updated GoingStick reading for the track but that will certainly make for interesting reading if they get around to publishing one today. There is only a bit more rain in the forecast before tomorrow’s Classic but then there wasn’t supposed to be more than 3mm last night.
The Other Bit Of Weather concerns Musselburgh, where the residents are certainly familiar with the concept of unexpected inclemency. The clerk of the course has christened today on the BHA’s website as ‘Vile Friday’, which will probably not catch on.
There was 7mm of overnight rain/sleet at the East Lothian track, on top of ground which was (rather rashly, in my view) watered to the extent of 7mm on Wednesday. The going is still described as ‘good’ but I should think the word ‘soft’ will get a look-in by the end of the card.
Hopefully Jammy Moment (3.35) can cope because she’s handicapped to go well on her debut for Keith Dalgleish, having been with Linda Perratt last year. The mare won this very same race off a 1lb lower mark but lost her form in the second half of the year. She wears a first-time hood and is on offer at 11-4.
In Chepstow’s last, I like 4-1 about Madame Lafite (5.40), having her second run of the year and just her third try in a handicap. She lost her place through scrimmaging during her reappearance run at Kempton, since when Jonny Portman has had a couple of winners, so there are a few grounds to hope for a better showing here.
At Fontwell, Shaddaii (4.50) is 4-1 to continue his fine run, having scored on his debut for Robert Walford at Huntingdon before chasing home a subsequent winner at Chepstow. The third from that race also won next time. Shaddaii is just 1lb higher and the return to a longer trip should help.
Punchestown preview, by Greg Wood
From a purist’s point of view, the absence of Annie Power from the field for the Punchestown Champion Hurdle this afternoon is disappointing. From a punter’s perspective, however, the race is a good deal more interesting, as Vroum Vroum Mag attempts to step up and fill the gap left by her Champion Hurdle-winning stablemate.
Vroum Vroum Mag has a long sequence of victories to her name already, including the Grade One event for mares at Cheltenham last month, but it will open up a wide range of possibilities for next season if she can be competitive in her first race in open company.
Willie Mullins’s mare is a narrow favourite overnight but on the bare ratings she still has a few pounds to find with Nicky Henderson’s My Tent Or Yours, the runner-up to Annie Power in both the Champion Hurdle and Aintree Hurdle. Identity Thief (5.30) is also a serious player, not least after Thursday’s rain, and, at the prices, the 4-1 against Henry de Bromhead’s runner looks like the pick of the market.
Henderson will saddle O O Seven in the Champion Novice Hurdle, the second Grade One on the card, but Jer’s Girl (6.05) returned to form in style at Fairyhouse late last month and will take some stopping here at odds of 15-8.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Funding Deficit 7-1
Fort Del Oro 13-8
Weetles 3-1
Tuesday
Good Luck Charm 7-2
Maoi Chinn Tire 16-1
Zabana 7-2
Wednesday
Mizzou 11-4
Dinneratmidnight 12-1
GM Hopkins 5-2
Thursday
Exist 11-8
One Track Mind 10-1
Dannyday 7-4
And our leader is:
chris1623 +40.88
… who was already in front and then had a perfect Thursday, taking him to one of the best scores ever achieved in this competition. And yet, amazingly, he still has work to do because bacciodilupo (+36.25) also had One Track Mind and Dannyday yesterday and remains in touch.
Other good scores in an exceptional week: AndieAndson +20.75, dlk1107 +20.63, Onion_Terror +19, goodfellow1 +18.51, GForce1 +15.88, melonk +15.76, kmill68 +13, Geoff Staddon +13, DrClaw +13, sandiuk +13, titusisashambles +11 (one winner each day!), PHILYERBOOTS +9.50, BatmanKaisers +9.50.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.05 Musselburgh, 4.00 Chepstow, 5.30 Punchestown.
This week’s prize is a belter. It’s a copy of Timeform’s latest annual, Racehorses of 2015, a 1,000-page brick reviewing every horse trained in Britain that ran last year, with extended essays on the best of them, lavishly illustrated with photos and sure to be an item for any racing fan to treasure. If you don’t win, you can buy it here [ https://www.timeform.com/horse-racing/shop/annuals ] … for £79!
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!).
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
