Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
The thing I imagine we all want out of today is some good news about Freddy Tylicki, the former champion apprentice who suffered a shocking fall at Kempton yesterday . Unlike Jim Crowley, Tylicki was kept in hospital overnight and we are told to expect some detail on the extent of his injuries today.
Whatever he has suffered, let’s hope he can make a full recovery. Crowley appears to have escaped with just a broken nose, while Ted Durcan has a fractured ankle.
Exeter stages a rather low-quality renewal of the Haldon Gold Cup, several potential runners having no doubt been deterred by the ground, good to firm in places as a result of the dry autumn we’re having. Dodging Bullets is the class horse on show but will have to run close to his best to give away this much weight and, on the evidence of last season, is no longer up to that.
Garde La Victoire is a likeable sort but his jumping let him down when he was stepped up into good-quality races last season, so odds of 2-1 or shorter are not tempting, despite his successful return over hurdles a fortnight ago. All of which means there must be some value in the race, since everything else is 6-1 or bigger.
The third-favourite, Presenting Arms (2.20), is the one that appeals to me. A horse who goes well on a sound surface, he’s improved through a busy summer since Harry Fry sent him over fences in March and I was taken by his battling defeat to Marracudja at Cheltenham last time.
Something similar could be good enough here and he should be staying on strongly in any event. The fitting of cheekpieces seems to have helped in his last two starts.
There’s been support for Mother Meldrum (3.50) in the staying handicap hurdle but 7-2 remains as I type. She hasn’t always run well here but her two wins have both been at Exeter and she looks ready for a step up in distance, judged on her halfway promising reappearance at Ffos Las. She comes from the Victor Dartnall yard that had a quiet summer but got back among the winners in October.
Flower Of Love (4.40) is the nap for the amateur riders’ race that opens the Kempton card. Newish trainer Simon Crisford already has a good record in such contests and he has once more snapped up the very useful Serena Brotherton.
This filly is making her handicap debut from what looks a very reasonable mark, judging on her two good efforts at Chester and also on the achievements of her siblings. She’s a three-year-old taking on mostly older rivals on terms that should favour her. She’s 11-4.
