Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
When a fine steeplechaser makes his comeback from injury, there’s generally an element of caution among punters and other onlookers. We can hope that he’ll be as good as he was but the odds are generally against it. Victory is a lot to ask in such circumstances. We’ll settle for a clear round and an encouraging effort.
But that traditional caution is hard to detect in relation to Thistlecrack, back in action in Newbury’s Long Distance Hurdle today. It’s less than 10 months since he was found to have a tendon tear, which is a pretty impressive recovery time, for all that Colin Tizzard maintained from the outset that his star would be back by Christmas.
It would be great to see him win the King George, looking just as good as he did last Boxing Day. But are we going to back him at 11-10 for today’s return to action, his first hurdles run for 20 months, taking on high-class staying hurdlers at their own game? I’d say not, bearing in mind that this is primarily a run to set him right for the Kempton race.
At his hurdling peak, he’d be easily the best in this field but now he’s a beaten-up chaser, last seen taking second prize in one of the hardest-fought battles I’ve witnessed, behind Many Clouds at Cheltenham. I think I’ll go with one of the specialist hurdlers with no recent injury problems, thank you very much.
The problem is, which one? Cases can be made for Wholestone or Colin’s Sister but I’m going with Unowhatimeanharry (3.00). He’s had 10 wins from 11 starts since joining Harry Fry and you don’t often get 15-8 about a horse with that kind of profile.
I think they might have got the wrong favourite for the earlier novice chase. This is a bit of a recovery mission for Yanworth, who fell over himself under no pressure at Exeter the other day. He’ll be ridden accordingly and I think that presents a winning chance to Willoughby Court (1.50) at 9-4.
He wasn’t entirely convincing on his chasing debut but jumped to his left, which was unhelpful at right-handed Huntingdon but won’t be such a problem here. He made hard work of beating three other finishers but two of them have won since and he should be straighter this time.
The nap is Monbeg River (2.00) at Doncaster, where he’s 11-4 for a five-runner handicap chase. He nearly pinched a Wetherby race last time, eventually going under by a neck to a well handicapped rival who has since been second in a more valuable contest at Ascot. From the same mark, Monbeg River could take this from Master Burbidge, penalised for winning a soft race at Plumpton.
Tips for all Friday races
Doncaster
12.00 Talkischeap 12.30 Valseur Du Granval 1.00 Barton Knoll 1.30 Powerful Symbol 2.00 Monbeg River (nap) 2.35 Askamore Darsi 3.10 Imperial Elixir
Southwell
12.10 Luv U Whatever (nb) 12.40 Malaspina 1.10 Isstoora 1.40 Bubbly Bellini 2.10 Tellovoi 2.45 First Excel 3.20 Anna Medici
Newbury
12.20 Lostintranslation 12.50 Cyrname 1.20 Santini 1.50 Willoughby Court 2.25 Willie Boy 3.00 Unowhatimeanharry 3.35 Boyhood
Chelmsford
5.45 Spirit Of Belle 6.15 Elsaakb 6.45 Any Little Rhyme 7.15 Ghepardo 7.45 Inuk 8.15 Samharry 8.45 Send Up 9.15 Miss Mirabeau
