11.25am Thursday jumps cards must pass early inspections
Tony Paley: Thursday’s meetings at Wincanton and Luldow will have to pass precautionary inspections if they are to get the go ahead.
Temperatures at Wincanton are reported to have dropped to minus 7C overnight, leaving parts of the track frozen. While a further frost is expected on Wednesday night, landings and take offs at the track have been covered and temperatures are expected to rise on Thursday. Officials will take an initial look at 7am.
Ludlow have also called a precautionary inspection for 8am. The course had a hard frost on Tuesday night and with a cold day forecast today followed by a further frost tonight, they feel it best to check conditions in the morning. The going is reported to be heavy, soft in places on the hurdles track, with frost covers employed on the chase course fences.
Wednesday’s meeting at Musselburgh got the go ahead after the track passed an inspection, but Newbury has been cancelled due to frost.
Andy Clifton, head of communications at Newbury, said: “It’s still minus 7C in the home straight and down by the cross fence it is minus 10C right now. “We have had the covers down and while they have done a good job, we have got to start taking them up now and the track will start to freeze.
“It’s better to call if off now and let everyone know. Temperatures aren’t forecast to get above freezing for another three hours.”
Wednesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The action at Musselburgh does not lack for competitiveness, with no odds-on favourites on the card and four currently trading at 3-1 or bigger. Storming Strumpet (2.20) has let down her backers on her last two starts but sets a solid standard in the mares’ novice hurdle, while Shrewd (2.55) showed significant improvement over course and distance last time out and can back up that performance today.
The most valuable races of the day are on the all-weather, with Lingfield leading the way with a £19,000 sprint handicap. Just four runners are due to go to post, but all four do so with realistic hopes of victory. Alshaqee (2.45) is the one to back, though, as a repeat of his win at Chelmsford last month would probably suffice and his defeat when favourite at the same track 18 days ago came as the result of a bump and a slipped saddle.
Steal The Scene (1.35) is worth a bet to regain winning form now that he drops back to seven furlongs, while at Kempton, Moon River (5.40) can take the feature event and confirm her improvement to win at Southwell last time out. Zarliman (6.10) and Bridge Builder (7.10) are two more to consider closely on the same card.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Extreme Impact 16-1
Bebinn 3-1
Paddy’s Motorbike 6-5
Tuesday
Willie Hall 6-1
Uptight 8-1
Art Lord 7-1
And our leader is …
spudpwt +18
… after selecting Willie Hall, which a number of our contestants managed to find as well. Bonzodrongo (+13.20) and Stanflashman (+11) are both in hot pursuit.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 1.45 Musselburgh; 2.10 Lingfield and 3.20 Lingfield.
This week’s prize, to mark the first year in ages in which Clive Brittain isn’t training, our prize is a hardback copy of The Smiling Pioneer, the biography of the Newmarket trainer penned by Robin Oakley and recounting Brittain’s success with the mighty Pebbles and many others. 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 -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.
Good luck!
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And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
