Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
I guess most of the habitues of this page are happiest when discussing racing with other people who know it well but it’s fun to get some fresh thinking on the subject from time to time. I was struck this morning by one of the comments in the Grand National start time discussion, asking whether a later start could affect the horses.
After pointing out that most of the runners will have begun their midwinter races at 3.20pm or earlier, the commenter suggested that extending each horse’s day by two hours would not be insignificant. Well I never. I like to take as many factors into account as I can fit in my head when I’m tipping, but this is a new one on me.
On the whole, I tend to take the view that finely tuned athletes, the beneficiaries of rigorous training regimes and excellent nutrition for several years, are unlikely to perform less well just because the sun has moved a little further across the sky. But horses are funny beasts and one could not exclude the possibility that such a thing matters for one or two of the crankier types.
I’ve never yet heard a trainer offer the start-time as an excuse for a horse, which might be conclusive proof that it doesn’t matter because, let’s be honest, trainers will mention every possible reason for defeat bar the horse being a bit too slow. The time to take this idea seriously will be when some frustrated chap says: “I knew it was a mistake to run this horse after four o’clock. He’s a real Ovaltine type, he thinks he should be snugly tucked up by now. I’ll try to find a race around noon next time.”
It seems to me that the David Pipe yard is emerging from a short spell in the doldrums and the trainer appears to be making good use of his new star claimer Dave Noonan, a winner on two of his five recent mounts for Pipe. Today they team up at Ludlow with Skylander (2.10), an impressive winner of his chasing debut at Hexham in October.
He was well held behind two classy winners in his next two outings and ran a fair race in midfield at Cheltenham’s Open meeting. This is more winnable, provided he copes with a new test of stamina, and 8-1 is fine.
Pick of the Catterick card may be 5-1 about Roxyfet (12.50) from the in-form Micky Hammond yard, an impressive winner at Sedgefield last week and still handily treated under a penalty if he can do something similar.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Zero Visibility 9-2
Entihaa 9-4
Steal The Scene 5-1
Tuesday
Kings Cross 8-1
Riddlestown 6-1
Illegally Blonde 100-30
And our leader is …
melonk +16.83
… who has had four of the first six winners, which is all the more impressive in view of the fact that no one foud Kings Cross. William36 (+14.08) comes next.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.00 Lingfield, 2.40 Ludlow, 2.50 Catterick.
This week’s prize is a copy of the Racing Post Annual 2016, featuring 208 colour pages of the best writing and photography from racing’s daily paper. The blurb promises “ the moments to treasure and unusual stories of the year, plus a look forward at the top prospects for 2016”. 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 -6.
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.
