Tuesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
There are three Flat meetings in Britain on Tuesday, but the focus will be on the jumps card at Exeter, where the main event is the Haldon Gold Cup. The book on the feature race was just over 2% overbroke at best prices when betting opened yesterday evening, a clear sign that while just six runners will go to post for this limited handicap, it is a highly-competitive renewal.
Sire De Grugy, the winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2014, was the horse causing the most significant difference of opinion among the odds-compilers, with prices on offer from 9-4 to 3-1.
Vibrato Valtat (2.20) was also available at 3-1, however, and though he has since shortened to clear favourite at 11-4, that looks a price worth taking. Paul Nicholls in his usual fine form, the grey looks to be the one to back. He kept his form well last season, when his wins included the Grade One Henry VIII Novice Chase at Sandown, and he was also second in the Grade One Manifesto Novice Chase at Aintree in April. Today’s trip and going should also be ideal.
Belmount (3.20) ran an excellent race on his seasonal debut when a half-length second to Dursey Sound, who had an edge in fitness. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s runner can show the benefit of that outing today, and should also improve for the experience as this will be only his third start over fences.
Yanworth, who was fourth in the Festival Bumper at Cheltenham, makes his debut over hurdles earlier on the card, and could face a tricky rival too in Dan Skelton’s Welsh Shadow (1.50). He was an impressive bumper winner at Wetherby on his only previous start under Rules, and Dueling Banjos, the runner-up there, made a successful start over timber at Kempton yesterday.
The ground will be testing at Redcar but that should not concern either Ardmay (2.00), who looked an improved horse when successful over hurdles last time, or Piccadilly Jim (2.30) in the claimer. The Quarterjack (3.10) and Best Example (6.40) should go well on the all-weather cards at Southwell and Wolverhampton respectively.
Tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Monday
Brother Tedd 11-8
Dubawi Island 7-1
Dragon City 9-2
And our leader is …
eddiesgottheblues +10.50
… who started the week in fine fashion with Dubawi Island and Dragon City. The chasers are led by GForce1, Bocuma_TJ, Copshaw and yasmin11 on +7.38 (Brother Tedd and Dubawi Island).
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.20 Exeter, 3.20 Exeter, 4.20 Exeter.
This week’s prize is a copy of Beckhampton, The Men And Horses of a Great Racing Stable, Paul Mathieu’s newly published book about the Wiltshire stable now home to Roger Charlton, which has housed some 40 Classic winners in its long and successful history. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
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 -3.
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.
Good luck!
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