Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Warren Place, which was the cherished base of Sir Henry Cecil for so long, looks like being a powerhouse again, to judge by a picture that has appeared in today’s Racing Post. The snap, apparently taken by a drone, shows three 31-box squares have been built behind the historic main yard since Sheikh Mohammed bought the place in late 2015.
If you take a stable that dominated Flat racing for decades and add 93 boxes, while generally bringing the place up to the most modern of standards, I’d say you’ll have something worthwhile. Of course, what matters most of all is who will be making the decisions about the training and there has so far been no word on that front. The chance of it being someone to match the genius of Cecil is basically zero, alas. Still, whoever it is will get a smashing workplace.
I’m interested by the excellent form of Sussex’s William Knight as the Flat season gets under way. Knight has had four winners from 11 runners in the past fortnight and his The Juggler (2.10) could be one to catch first time up in the staying handicap at Chelmsford, for which he’s 100-30 against an obvious favourite in Regal Gait.
Time and distance may have been the key to The Juggler, an 11-race maiden who showed most promise when a “nearest finish” second at Kempton in November, his most recent outing. His basement rating, 12lb below the one he had a year ago, is two stone below the mark his brother, Barye, was able to beat at Chelmsford in the spring of his four-year-old season.
Jimmy Quinn, who rides, is not prolific these days but he does well when teaming up with Knight. Together, they won three times from seven attempts last year.
A couple of longshots on the Chelmsford card make some appeal, both having come in for bits of support. Secret Lightning (2.40) is only 2lb higher than the mark from which she’s won twice in the past six months and has both cheekpieces and Silvestre de Sousa back on for the first time since she won at Kempton last month. She’s 12-1.
You can get 20-1 about Secret Clause (4.40), whose move from Mick Appleby to Derek Shaw has taken him from one hot trainer to another. He doesn’t seem to have enjoyed three runs on the Fibresand in the winter but, if you can put a line through those, his handicap form elsewhere reads 12614 and he’s now 8lb below the mark he had for his latest win. He’s also been gelded since last seen, so there are a few reasons to hope for a better showing today.
The two small-field jumps cards look trappy but a case can be made for Master Jake (4.00), an 11-2 shot for a three-mile handicap chase at Wetherby. The step up in trip and better ground seemed to help him when he broke his duck over fences last time and he comes from the hot, hot yard of Dan Skelton. He was a dual points winner in Ireland a couple of years ago, so it’s no surprise that he needs three miles.
Thursday’s tips
Wetherby
2.00 Ravens Hill 2.30 Ballyrock 3.00 Vision Des Champs 3.30 Dominada 4.00 Master Jake 4.30 For Instance 5.00 Pikarnia
Chelmsford
2.10 The Juggler (nap) 2.40 Secret Lightning 3.10 Fiendish 3.40 Qaffaal 4.10 Fast And Hot 4.40 Secret Clause (nb) 5.10 Son Of The Stars
Towcester
2.20 Tell The Tale 2.50 Masterplan 3.20 Shaluna 3.50 Today Please 4.20 Project Mars 4.50 Some Finish 5.20 Sliding Doors
