Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
How interesting to see that Bridget Andrews (Miss B Andrews on racecards, up to now) will turn conditional at the weekend, giving up her amateur status. This has been a breakthrough season for her, thanks to the support she’s had from the Skelton yard, with a dozen winners at a 20% strike-rate.
I was thinking that Mister Grez might be vulnerable over two miles round a sharp track on drying ground yesterday but Andrews did exactly what you’d have wanted, had you backed the beast, getting him out in front and making sure everything else was in trouble some way from home. She looked assertive and in control.
The woods are not full of promising young female jump jockeys getting enough support to turn conditional. And yet almost any other part of the horsey world is over-run with women riders. There is plenty of talent out there but people will not see racing as a suitable option for women until people like Andrews and Lucy Alexander can prove that it is. Good luck to her.
The market appears to have decided that today is the day for Worthy Award, a McManus-owned beast, unseen since October and now with Tony McCoy aboard for the first time as the horse (a point to point winner) makes his chasing debut in what is just his second outing in a handicap. Horses like that can certainly take a step forward on what they’ve shown in the past but I do wonder if he deserves to be quite so short in the betting on drying ground at tight Southwell.
So I shall take 3-1 about the known quantity of Nomadic Storm (3.10), the winner of four of his seven runs since David Bridgwater got him a year ago and applied tongue tie and cheekpieces. Two of those successes came here, including one on good to firm, and he has given the impression that this extra half-mile will help.
At Hexham, I like Sue Smith’s Palm Grey (4.10) at 5-1 after his promising second on his handicap debut at Newcastle last time. Again, an extra half-mile should help. Surprise Vendor is favourite and I do like a Stuart Coltherd runner at Hexham but this distance looks a shade further than is really ideal for him.
Gabrial The Terror (4.35) is an unadventurous nap at 9-4 at Wolverhampton. Wink Oliver (5.35) is possibly more interesting at 10-1 in the closer, having won his last two tries over this course and distance. He still looks fairly treated and Graham Gibbons is back in the plate.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Mighty Mambo 8-1
Frozen Over 6-1
Cosway Spirit 15-8
And our leaders are. . .
TheVic +8.88
16heathermac01 +8.88
yasmin11 +8.88
… who all had Mighty Mambo and Cosway Spirit. Dean055 (+6.88) also had a double. Six others found Mighty Mambo and are therefore on +6.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.10 Hexham, 4.55 Southwell, 5.05 Wolverhampton.
This week’s prize is a copy of Timeform’s Horses To Follow for the coming Flat season. Retailing at £9.95, it offers 50 horses to follow, chosen by Timeform’s team of experts, plus Irish horses to follow, ante-post tips and plenty more in the way of winner-finding features. If you don’t win, you can buy it 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.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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