11.15am Shutthefrontdoor gets the National charity bet vote
Tony Paley: I’ve chosen Shutthefrontdoor as my OLBG grand-national-guide.co.uk Charity Grand National Bet with £25 each-way being placed on the Jonjo O’Neill-trained runner. All proceeds will go to the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
Tony McCoy revealed yesterday that the selection has experienced a better preparation than last year when he carried the champion jockey into fifth spot on his final trip around the National course. He travelled like the best horse in the race for a long time in 2015 until an absence from the track told in the closing stages and is 1lb lower in the ratings for the big race a week on Saturday.
Ignore the gelding’s latest run when he pulled up as Shutthefrontdoor was reported by his trainer to have been suffering from abscesses on his feet afterwards. He’s a proven long-distance campaigner with a touch of class, having a victory in the Irish National on his CV, and I don’t expect him to be trading at his current odds of 25-1 come the big day.
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Hurricane Volta (4.40) is the sort of tip you come up with on a quiet day when you’re really just waiting for a major bit of racing in about a week’s time. His chance is far from obvious and he might easily finish tailed off. But there’s something there.
Running for David Wachman just six starts ago, he won a little race at Tramore, there being no other kind of race available at Tramore. At that point he was rated 20lb above his present mark. He achieved next to nothing in five English starts for Ralph Smith last year but it was a tough year for Smith’s yard generally.
Now Hurricane Volta is with another trainer, Peter Hedger. He has been gelded since his last run and wears cheekpieces for the first time since Tramore.
If Hedger has him ready to go, he could get involved in a weak-looking race. “Market support should be noted,” says the Racing Post. Well, there’s been none of that, he’s a 20-1 shot, but that doesn’t worry me. Hedger had a 25-1 winner at this track in September and he had a 14-1 winner in a five-runner race last summer.
Earlier on the card, I’ll have another go at Theydon Thunder (2.30) at 7-4. He looked the best horse in his race at Lingfield yesteday but didn’t get the best trip. Hopefully Rosie Jessop can get more out of him from an inside draw that should help this prominent racer.
At Ffos Las, Alfie Spinner (3.25) is interesting, having moved from the yard of Nick Williams to Kerry Lee, who has stuck a tongue tie and cheekpieces on him for this first start in four months. Now 11, Alfie Spinner has dropped 22lb from his peak rating. It’s an age since he won anything but this change in circumstances could draw something more out of him. He’s 15-8 against a handful of rivals.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Tuesday
See Double You 15-2
Gibbstown 7-2
Nouvelli Dancer 15-2
Wednesday
Music Major 8-1
Alderley Heights 33-1
Lucy The Painter 2-1
And our leader is:
Mulldog +14
… who stayed on the same score by picking Lucy The Painter and now has the lead to himself. Other good scores: sandiuk +11.50, Geoff Staddon +11, Shrewdette +7.50, BearRides +7, TomMcNeil +7, maghazi +7, BatmanKaisers +6, ID0133207 +5.50, factormax +5.50.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.45 Bangor, 3.55 Ffos Las, 8.10 Chelmsford.
Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, sponsors of the Grand National, have provided this week’s very generous prize; two prizes, in fact. The top two tipsters in this week’s competition will each get a pair of tickets for all three days of next week’s Grand National meeting at Aintree! How about it?
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 -6.
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!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
