Saturday's Meetings Wetherby N/H 7 Races 10:35-1:58p.m. Navan N/H 8 Races 11:30-3:27p.m. Sandown N/H 7 Races 12:08-3:35p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 9 Races 4:30-8:30p.m. Aintree Abandoned Chepstow Abandoned Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Aintree 14,07 King Turgeon 9/2 bet365, 4/1 WH, Lads and Coral Sandown 14,25 Willmount 9/2 Lads and Coral, 4/1 WH, 7/2 others
8 line up in the Tingle Creek though Oddy. You have to back to 2014 and Dodging Bullets to find more than that. Given the weather forecast here over the next 18 hours there may well be a few abandonments. Doesn’t seem like 5 minutes since the trainers were bemoaning the lack of rain. Well they’re getting plenty of it currently or very soon.
Yeah I think wind is the problem tomorrow Chan (might be with me too after tonight’s chili con carne).
We could see some movement in the Champion Chase market this weekend with Jonbon and Energumene in action.
Wetherby 13,23 Breeze Of Wind 9/2 Navan 13,42 Iceberg Theory 20/1 e/w five places, 18/1 sky six places
Is the Wetherby pick just on the name and prevailing conditions Pilgrim? Would be a very apt winner today. Mars Harper ew @ 25/1 Navan, 2.17. A regular participant in these types of races and has won before off his current mark. Was 5th in this race last year off a much higher mark too. Good luck all
A horse I've followed for a long time (in fact since he fell 2 out in Stage Star's Challow Hurdle 3 years ago) is Party Business who I think can go really close in the Pertemps qualifier at Sandown. He ran an excellent 3rd at Galway last time and that was his first run on easy ground for absolutely ages (that Challow Hurdle where he fell was also soft, heavy in places) and he could make a mockery of his mark of 122.
13:23 Wetherby - Ali Star Bert e/w Class-4 Handicap Chase over 3m on soft ground. Decent chance to gain a podium finish, at least. Alice Stevens (3) on board for the Shaun Harris yard. 15/2 (Bet365/Wm.Hill) best price early-doors, on the ATR site.
Henri The Second wins the Pertemps Qualifier easily off a mark of 125. Could be a danger to all in the final.
Sticking with the Pertemps theme, former Final winner (off a mark of 142) Good Time Jonny goes off 136 with a 7lb claimer in the next at Navan. This is his first run over hurdles for 18 months but he is fit from chasing and can go close at around 10/1.
I was very taken by the performance of Henri The Second yesterday but moving forward (and particularly with an eye on the old Final) I guess the key question now must be how will the handicapper react to this 18 length victory on Tuesday morn??? Will they factor in that horrendous ground probably enhanced the margin of victory or will the performance be taken at face value??? I'd expect something in the realms of a 9-14 lbs increase is likely for Mr Nicholls' beast. Henri The second now gone 2nd fave, with Ladbrokes, for the Pertemps Final (although Tuesday's handicapper reaction could potentially see that price change again depending on its perceived leniency / harshness (delete as appropriate)). I thought Jonbon did it well enough yesterday but don't think such an odds reduction for the 'Champion Chase' was really warranted. Meanwhile the 'lucky last' is surely a real, real taking point - The 'That London National'. Gutsy and game performance from Mr Vango but did he lose the Welsh National yesterday??? He's going to need some constitution to come back and repeat (or more likely he'll need to better that) in less than 3 weeks time. And what about old boy Conkwell Leg End in the same race??? Was the way he stayed on the final fence Awesome with a capital 'A' or simply an instance of a horse passing beaten and tired rivals in the concluding stages. 'Conkers' hasn't won for yonks but maybe it was more the former than the latter. But it would take a brave sort to commit to either scenario.
