11.30am Pipe plans to clean up in National with Our Father
Tony Paley: David Pipe will target Our Father at the Grand National after his close second to Mon Parrain in a competitive staying handicap chase on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham.
The grey unseated his rider at the Canal Turn on the first circuit in the National itself last April ans was ninth to Oscar Time over the National fences in the Becher Chase last month.
“He has always run well fresh, although [he] has often failed to build on that promise over the course of a season so it was pleasing to see him run with credit on his second start this term,” the Nicholashayne trainer told http://www.davidpipe.com.
“The obvious target for him is a tilt at the Grand National at Aintree in April - he appeared to take to them [the fences] last term and confirmed that impression with his performance in the Becher Chase last month. He is due a rise in the weights for this latest effort and hopefully that will be enough to see him secure his place in the line-up.”
Pipe also revealed that he will be giving Dynaste entries in both the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase at the Festival in March.
“Early closing entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase all close tomorrow and unsurprisingly we will be entering King George VI Chase runner-up Dynaste in both the Gold Cup and Ryanair,” he said.
“There has been increased speculation during the past few days over his likely target and all I will say [as in previous years] is that we will weigh up all possibilities and make a decision much nearer the time.”
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Social media is alive with controversy this morning over suggestions that Jeremy Kyle is a front-runner in the race to be picked by Channel 4 as their lead presenter for April’s Grand National broadcast. Clare Balding has cut back her days working for C4 racing and will be on a rival channel, covering a rival sport that day.
The general assumption appears to be that some sort of ‘name’ presenter is needed to front such a high-profile programme, even though C4 racing already has a good number of talented broadcasters on the roster. Jake Humphrey and Gok Wan are other names being tossed about.
The BBC’s formula over decades was to find a sports broadcaster of well established standing with some feel for racing, even if it wasn’t their number one game, and that gave us Coleman, Lynam and Barker as presenters. Balding was a natural successor and it is not clear that Channel 4 can find someone else from that sort of mould, which is why this is now a subject for widespread speculation. You wouldn’t put it beyond the modern TV executive to be trawling discussion boards for useful suggestions.
So suggest away, TH regulars. I imagine you’d all be tuning in anyway for the Aintree race but is there a presenter out there who would make you more likely to soak up the entire afternoon’s broadcast, someone who would get you even more excited about it?
I enjoy a bit of low-grade midwinter jump racing but opportunities on today’s cards look scarce. I quite like Antrim raider Izzini (2.30) for her handicap debut at Sedgefield, she having travelled well for such a long way in a novice hurdle at Catterick last month, though the 7-4 is hardly giving it away.
At Bangor, Relic Rock (1.40) is the most reliable prospect, but he is odds-on after all. Bally Braes (2.10) is a likeable 7-4 chance from the Twiston-Davies yard after pleasing on his chasing debut last time, when he was second, 10 lengths clear of the third.
OLBG Tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Monday
Claude Carter 7-1
Gores Island 3-1
Join The Navy 6-1
And our leader is JahLion (+12), who had Claude Carter and Join The Navy, while moidadem and Grazioli09 also had doubles on day one. For a full and rare leaderboard, see below!
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.40 Bangor, 3.00 Sedgefield, 3.10 Bangor.
This week’s prize is a pair of Premier tickets to Ascot for Saturday 17 January, kindly offered by OLBG who sponsor the mares hurdle on that day. The feature race is the Clarence House Chase, in which Sprinter Sacre is expected to make his comeback. In fact, OLBG are offering FIVE (5!) pairs of tickets, so the top five finishers in our competition will all get a pair each. This, of course, means the return of the leaderboard, for one week only. You lucky people! Do let us know if you can’t use the prize.
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!
Scores after day one
JahLion +12
moidadem +9
Grazioli09 +8
Mulldog +5
slackdad38 +5 can’t use prize
Sportingbest +5 can’t use prize
cheriton +4
GForce1 +4
Blitzwing +1
seandundee123 +1
yasmin11 +1
16heathermac01 +1
Crasivo +1
Mai11 +1
Ormrod76 +1
wiggy12 +1
BearRides +1
beverley1976 +1
thereason1986 +1
paragoncup +1
Lindsey6677 +1
valeboy -3
Fixxxer -3
gildedvanity -3
tanias -3 can’t use prize
sandiuk -3
lcprestes -3
TheVic -3
erifder -3
titusisashambles -3
Goldkid999 -3
kingklynch -3
eddiegottheblues -3
waltersobchak -3
diegoisgod -3
CluelessWhisper -3
melonk -3
chris1623 -3
Shrewdette -3
PHILYERBOOTS -3
dean055 -3
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
