11.30am Culloty maps out plan for Gold Cup hero Windermere
Tony Paley: Jim Culloty’s Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere starts off his campaign in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday and the trainer says it will be the Lexus, the Irish Hennessy and then a return to Cheltenham to defend his crown if all goes well this weekend.
“The plan is, all going well, he’ll run in the John Durkan and hopefully get a little bit of confidence, go to the Lexus at Christmas then the Irish Hennessy in February and Cheltenham. It can all change in two minutes but that is what we’d like to do,” Culloty told At The Races.
The former jockey talked of the difficulty in getting his stable star right for this year’s Festival after he came back jarred up after running in the Hennessy at Newbury a year ago.
“I had issues with the horse all season after his Hennessy run on quick ground. We battled with him all the way through and he came back for Cheltenham but we were conscious of his issues so he didn’t run after that,” said Culloty.
“Basically he needed a good holiday and it appears to have done the trick, he’s in good health and is moving very well.
“They called the ground good to soft [at Newbury] but it was a good bit quicker than that and he came back sore and he picked up an infection but the holiday has helped him and I’m hoping for a clear run this year. I’d have felt a lot better if he’d won the Gold Cup by 10 lengths rather than the fashion he did!”
Wednesday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
The standard of midweek winter jumps racing is not high and the all-weather is well worth a look at this time of year. At Kempton tonight Thomas Blossom (5.20) makes the most appeal from today’s four meetings. He was a creditable third at Lingfield a week ago and can race off a 3lb lower mark this time. The ground at Catterick is often decent and that’s presumably the reason why Nicky Henderson, who complained last week that he can’t find a good surafce for many of his horses, has sent three runners to the Yorkshire track. The Lambourn trainer’s Cocktails At Dawn (1.50) will take some beating on his second run over fences in the Beginners’ Chase.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Hold The Bucks 9-2
Ballyvoneen 5-1
Shirley’s Pride 3-1
Tuesday
Jigsaw Financial 7-2
Baraboy 7-2
Rowlestone Lass 9-1
And our leaders are:
72luca +10.00
GForce1 +10.00
eddiesgottheblues +9.5
... after the top two found the 9-1 shot yesterday.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.10 Ludlow, 3.10 Ludlow, 3.30 Lingfield.
This week’s prize is a copy of the Racing Post Annual 2015, now in its fourth year and running to 208 colour pages packed with stories from this racing year and some of terrific photos of the greatest moments. Interviewees include Willie Mullins and Tony McCoy. 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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