Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Oh God, I fancy a runner at Lingfield. There ought to be a pill you can take for this specific affliction, which is a bit like the urge to prod a bruise and about as likely to produce a happy outcome.
Lingfield’s all-weather circuit, as we have established, is a place of heartache. The racing surface consists largely of the dust of disappointed punters who disintegrated on the spot after getting done on the line one time too many.
And yet I can’t pull my gaze away from Atwix (2.10) in today’s opener. From the Lucy Wadham yard that has quite a good record here, she beat two John Gosden runners to score here on her debut last February, with the subsequent dual Group One winner Simple Verse back in sixth (no, I don’t propose that we take that form literally).
Forced immediately into handicaps, Atwix had a difficult and unproductive summer but improved again for the fitting of cheekpieces on her final start, running on well to beat a dozen rivals. She’s only 4lb higher here but you can get 9-1.
It’s disappointing to see heavy going again at Exeter, at a time of year when you’d like to see some jump racing on a better surface. So I’ll look to Kempton for my other interest, in Gentlemen (8.25). Phil McEntee’s five-year-old has been steadily progressive since summer and won two of his last three starts around Chelmsford before failing to stay a mile last time.
This return to a sprint distance makes him a contender again, though he obviously has to prove he can go right-handed. He’s also 9-1.
Crabbies Ginger Beer tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Tuesday
See Double You 15-2
Gibbstown 7-2
Nouvelli Dancer 15-2
And our leaders are:
Mulldog +14
Geoff Staddon +14
... who both had the two 15-2 winners. They’re followed by BearRides, TomMcNeil and maghazi (all +10).
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.20 Lingfield, 4.45 Exeter, 6.25 Kempton.
Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, sponsors of the Grand National, have provided this week’s very generous prize; two prizes, in fact. The top two tipsters in this week’s competition will each get a pair of tickets for all three days of next week’s Grand National meeting at Aintree! How about it?
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!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
