Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
For reasons with which we are all familiar, the job of running Aintree includes the need to handle a lot of PR work with as much deftness and sensitivity as you can muster. So it is slightly worrying to see what looks like an own goal by the racecourse this week two weeks ahead of this year’s Grand National.
John Baker, who is the Jockey Club’s man in the north-west and effectively Aintree’s MD, has given an interview in which he threatens to remove accreditation from any photographer who is seen to make repeated attempts to take embarrassing pictures of female racegoers out for a good time.
“If we see any element clearly looking for a negative shot and we can identify that, we will take their accreditation off them and we’ll kick them off the site,” Baker is quoted as saying, before acknowledging that this will not be easily managed. “What we’re going to do is go on the front foot and be a lot more positive around the images we can deliver around the world on the internet.”
Events at Aintree are not always predictable but we could all guess what would happen next. The internet has filled up with old pictures of Aintree racegoers, mostly female, in sundry raucous and uninhibited poses, exactly the kind of image that Baker was apparently trying to suppress.
The Daily Mail’s headline amounts to two fingers being waved at Baker: “Aintree set to BAN photographers from taking pictures of badly-dressed women at Grand National meeting … to avoid more embarrassing pictures like these!”
Perhaps this was all a kind of double-bluff and Baker will be delighted by the cheap publicity he has achieved a fortnight before the biggest three days of his year. But if his aim really was, as stated, to “negate and nullify any media outlet which might want to put a negative slant on things”, then he has sent a thundering net-buster past the outstretched fingers of his own ‘keeper.
It’s a great pity because one could agree with a lot of what Baker has said, like this: “Our event is full of character, it’s fun, and that’s generated by the personality of the Liverpool people.
“We’re saying to people ‘We want you to have fun, to express yourself and we don’t want you to feel anything other than secure and free to do that because it’s what makes the event what it is.’ And we promise to do our absolute utmost to make sure that’s celebrated.”
But sometimes doing is better than talking. Baker could have pursued his plan without parading his good intentions in public and offering what was pretty obviously a red rag to several bulls. And what will happen, do you think, when ladies’ day comes around? Will the demand for pictures of apparently drunk female racegoers be greater or less, as a result of what he has said?
Today at Wetherby, Cowslip (2.50) could be overpriced at 9-2 to defy a 7lb penalty for scoring at this track 10 days ago. The way she went clear in the closing stages that day suggests she still has a bit in hand after consecutive successes in her first two handicaps over hurdles and the extra quarter-mile looks like good news.
In Newcastle’s opener, I like Mossies Well (2.10) at 7-2 for a second success in a novice hurdle, following his Ayr win three weeks ago. Sandy Thomson’s runner looks progressive over hurdles, allowing for the blip when stepped up to Grade Two company on just his second start.
At the same price, Montoya’s Son (3.40) could be worth a look, having rediscovered his form since joining Keith Dalgleish. He won three on the bounce in the autumn, had a break and then won again over today’s course and distance three weeks ago. He’s only up 3lb for that, which looks more fair than the 12lb with which his rival, De Vous A Moi, has been clobbered for a last-time success.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Mighty Mambo 8-1
Frozen Over 6-1
Cosway Spirit 15-8
Tuesday
Palm Grey 3-1
Mr Squirrel 11-2
Conserve 3-1
Wednesday
Kapstadt 6-1
Brody Bleu 5-2
Clampdown 15-8
Thursday
Phone Home 20-1
Flintham 11-4
Ebony Empress 11-2
And our leaders are. . .
goofs +9
paragoncup +9
. . . who were both drawing blanks for the week until somehow finding Phone Home. Other good(ish) scores: TheVic +7.63, yasmin11 +6.88, 16heathermac01 +6.51, sandiuk +4.50, dean055 +4.38, Shrewdette +3.50.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.10 Newcastle, 3.55 Wetherby, 4.15 Newcastle.
This week’s prize is a copy of Timeform’s Horses To Follow for the coming Flat season. Retailing at £9.95, it offers 50 horses to follow, chosen by Timeform’s team of experts, plus Irish horses to follow, ante-post tips and plenty more in the way of winner-finding features. If you don’t win, you can buy it 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.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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