11.55am Culloty may have second string to bow in Gold Cup
Tony Paley: The 2014 Gold Cup-winning trainer Jim Culloty could have a second string to his bow this year in Spring Heeled.
The Grand National is the main aim for last year’s Kim Muir Chase winner, but he will not run over fences until the weights for the race are revealed on 17 February.
Spring Heeled could, however, still join stablemate and last year’s winner Lord Windermere in the Gold Cup, prior to heading to Aintreel.
“The bottom line with him is the National, and he won’t run until after the National weights come out,” said the Mallow handler. “He could possibly run in the Bobbyjo [at Fairyhouse]. He’s rated 149 and is pushing on up there now.
“So if he happened to win the Bobbyjo or run well he’d be right up there. The owners are thinking of Cheltenham and there is only one race there, really.
“There is the three-mile handicap chase on the Tuesday, but he would probably have top weight in that. I’m just keeping my options open by putting him in the Gold Cup.
“He wants good ground. He could run over hurdles but we don’t want to run on heavy in case he picks up an injury or something.”
Thursday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The £20,000 North Yorkshire Grand National is the obvious draw for punters at Catterick Bridge this afternoon, and a decent field of 12 is due to line up to race over three miles and six furlongs. Six of the runners finished either first or second on their most recent outing, including Incentivise (2.40) and Barton Gift, who were separated by two lengths at Warwick in mid-December over a trip just a furlong shorter than they face today.
They had the race between them from a long way out and the form looks as strong as anything on offer in today’s contest, in which Barton Gift is 4lb better off with Incentivise. Barton Gift travelled and jumped with a little more fluency than the winner too and the market expects him to reverse the form, but Incentivise had a little more in hand when it mattered than the margin at the line might suggest. There may not be much in it again today, but Incentivise makes more appeal at 9-1 than Barton Gift at 11-2.
Konig Dax (2.10) is an interesting runner in the card’s novice hurdle, when he will make his British debut for his new trainer, Donald McCain. His last start was a win back in May at St Malo, when the five-length runner up was none other than Douvan, who is now a leading contender for the Supreme Novice Hurdle and the likely favourite for a Grade One event in Ireland this weekend. A reproduction of anything close to his French form should be enough for Konig Dax to finish in front today, and it is encouraging too that Donald McCain has recently started to emerge from a disappointing first half of the winter campaign.
Sooqaan (2.20) did not have much to spare at the line when successful at Southwell last time out, but that was his debut on the surface and a career-best performance as well. There should be a little improvement to come for the experience and he is a good bet at 7-1 to confirm the form with Two Shades Of Grey, who was a neck behind at level weights and only 1lb better off today.
Amenable (1.50) has looked as though his turn is near several times recently and today could well be the day, while Lynngale (5.45) is the pick of the card at Wolverhampton. There are some competitive races at Meydan too, where the Carnival meeting gets underway with Outstrip, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, a narrow favourite for the Group Two al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 on the track’s new dirt surface.
OLBG Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday
Claude Carter 7-1
Gores Island 3-1
Join The Navy 6-1
Tuesday
Saint John Henry 5-1
Master Rajeem 9-2
Final Assault 9-2
Wednesday
Always Bold 12-1
Steel Summit 5-2
Evident 12-1
And our leader is Grazioli09, who ought to be even further clear. He was the only one to find Evident yesterday AND he had Steel Summit AND had Bally Sands, who would surely have won at Ludlow, had his rider not taken rather a wayward route to the final fence. Instead, victory for Always Bold (12-1) has put Goldkid999, beverley1976, waltersobchak and Blitzwing right into the reckoning. For a full and rare leaderboard, see below!
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.40 Catterick, 3.00 Leicester, 3.30 Leicester.
This week’s prize is a pair of Premier tickets to Ascot for Saturday 17 January, kindly offered by OLBG who sponsor the mares hurdle on that day. The feature race is the Clarence House Chase, in which Sprinter Sacre is expected to make his comeback. In fact, OLBG are offering FIVE (5!) pairs of tickets, so the top five finishers in our competition will all get a pair each. This, of course, means the return of the leaderboard, for one week only. You lucky people! Do let us know if you can’t use the prize.
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 -9.
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!
Scores after day three
Grazioli09 +18.50
Goldkid999 +13.50
beverley1976 +11.50
waltersobchak +10
moidadem +8.50 can’t use prize
Blitzwing +8
cheriton +7.50
Crasivo +6.50
JahLion +6
thereason1986 +4.50
Lindsey6677 +4
wemeanyounoharm +2 can’t use prize
GForce1 +1.50 can’t use prize
Mai11 +0.50 can’t use prize
asem24 +0
Mulldog -1
slackdad38 -1 can’t use prize
Sportingbest -1 can’t use prize
Ormrod76 -1.50
BearRides -1.50
paragoncup -1.50
CluelessWhisper -3
kingklynch -3.50
William36 -3.50
seandundee123 -5
yasmin11 -5
16heathermac01 -5
wiggy12 -5
melonk -5.50
Harrytheactor -5.50
valeboy -9
Fixxxer -9
gildedvanity -9
tanias -9 can’t use prize
sandiuk -9
lcprestes -9
TheVic -9
erifder -9
titusisashambles -9
eddiegottheblues -9
diegoisgod -9
chris1623 -9
Shrewdette -9
PHILYERBOOTS -9
dean055 -9
Ellandback -9
orso -9
FastEddie68 -9
72luca -9
TIMEFORM -9
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
