Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Colin Tizzard was inclined to play down the gravity of this week’s Thistlecrack news when I had a quick word with him at Taunton on Tuesday. The trainer talked down the extent of the horse’s injury and the significance of his consequent absence, which will keep him on the sidelines through the rest of this season.
Tizzard told me: “All I will say is, he had a tear in his tendon from the Cotswold Chase [last year] and it was touch and go whether we even raced him this year and we have, he’s run two races, he ran very well in the King George after having nine months doing zero. At least his tendon’s all right.
“This stress fracture will heal up in a month. It’s high profile because it’s Thistlecrack but, believe me, it’s much more common than you think. So, he’ll get a month in the box and then he can go out in a field.”
Our conversation ended with Tizzard looking for the bright side. “He’ll only be a few months older in October, so that’ll make no difference. We’ll have a full season with him next year.”
We all hope that turns out to be true but I can’t help feeling we must have seen the best of Thistlecrack, who will be nearly 11 by the time he races again. Anyway, good luck to all concerned.
Ayr having been abandoned, Ludlow provides our jumps action for the day and its card includes one of those races where you go through the form thinking: ‘Nothing’s going to win this.’ Or at least that was true for me of the staying handicap chase, until I got to the bottom one, Tb Broke Her (3.00).
This is not an especially original choice, as Matt Sheppard’s charge is favourite, but still a good price, for me, at 7-2. Previously trained in Ireland by Arthur Moore, whose strike-rate has sadly dwindled in recent years, Tb Broke Her won by nine lengths on her second start for Sheppard, when a step up to three miles seemed to help. I don’t think another 7lb is going to hold her if she gets a clear run.
Earlier, Megabucks (1.55) could go well for the in-form Henry Oliver yard at a tempting 10-1. He’s a points winner in England and Ireland, where he dead-heated in 2015 with Burrenbridge Hotel, who also found his way to Oliver’s yard and hosed up last month on a mark of 111.
Oh, and who was 10 lengths back in third? That’s right, Poetic Rhythm, the Challow winner. I mean, I don’t want to go overboard on ancient point-to-point form but that’s pretty strong. Anyway, Megabucks fared just OK in three hurdles starts at the end of last year but here he is over fences from a mark of 112, with Tom O’Brien replacing Robert Hawker. I like the look of it.
Also 10-1 is Ice Canyon (5.45) at Kempton, having run a huge debut for Mark Brisbourne when beaten by a length at 50-1 last month at Wolves (tipped by the Guardian; drat, drat, drat). Brisbourne stepped him up radically on the distances he’d been tackling in Ireland and it seemed to make a difference, which in fairness his pedigree suggested it would. From just 1lb higher, he’s well worth another go.
Ludlow 12.50 Zalvados 1.20 Shalakar 1.55 Megabucks 2.25 Virginia Chick 3.00 Tb Broke Her (nap) 3.35 Dahills Hill 4.05 Shee's Lucky
Lingfield 1.10 Highly Approved 1.45 Power And Peace 2.15 Grey Waters 2.50 Pattie 3.25 Blastofmagic 3.55 Sophie Gray
Kempton 4.15 Spare Parts 4.45 Orchid Lily 5.15 Sir Hamilton 5.45 Ice Canyon 6.15 Diagnostic 6.45 Compton Prince 7.15 Time To Blossom
Ayr abandoned
