Friday's Meetings Ffos Las................... National Hunt.... 7 Races....12:40-4:00p.m. Haydock................... National Hunt.... 7 Races.....12:50-3:40p.m. Ascot......................... National Hunt.... 6 Races.......1:00-3:50p.m. Wolverhampton(E) All-Weather....... 8 Races.......4:10-7:50p.m. Dundalk(E).............. All-Weather....... 7 Races........6:10-9:10p.m. At The Races Cards Racing Post Cards Sporting Life Cards Good Luck
3.15 Ascot - Tullamore Dew 12/1 Forgetting the bit that he hasn't won for bout 4 years, he has a good chance tomorrow. On old form is extremely well weighted and has put in some decent effort some staying handicaps last season and some good placed efforts this year, likes the course and if he can build on those efforts, a place should be at the very least
I can't remember Davy Russell coming over the sea to ride at Ffos Las before. Maybe i'm wrong. He has a 4 rides for Rebecca Curtis tomorrow and all 4 look to have favourites chances.
All weather selections As a flat man through and through I tend just bet for fun on the jumps, which is another way of saying my money only goes one way. I have found the all weather to be quite lucrative these last few seasons however as it tends be quite easy to read with regard form (as the courses produce reasonably consistent form as the surface is pretty consistent also), and money is quite significant as many runners are from smaller yards. So rather than put any jumpers up I will try and stick to the all weather. Wolverhampton 5.15 Quenelle 4-1 This horse has only had 5 runs and so very unexposed. The last run on polytrack may likely be good enough to win this. It's an open race but most can be expected to run to a mark which they are weighted to, the selection however may yet to have shown it's best at this moment in time. 6.50 Lola Montez 9-2 I put this up with a great deal of hesitancy. On one hand last time out, albeit under a poor ride the horse did nothing. The time before however it was backed as though defeat were out of the question and did it nicely. The safe bet is to wait and see if money comes but we will have missed the boat. It's George Bakers only ride at the track and he was the one employed to land the touch last time it won. I do not believe he is contracted to the horse and so he must surely not be that needing to drive to Wolverhampton to earn £120 to ride an also ran. As a point of note George is riding very well at present and has the highest percentage rate among the jockeys who ride regularly at 20%. He also rides these all weather tracks well and could make a big impact again if staying to ride over the winter.
1.55 Haydock Stephanie Frances 6/1 Although she probably doesn't have the strongest hurdling form in the field, I was very impressed with the way Stephanie Frances won on her last start when quickening clear in a fairly slowly run race and I think there is an awful lot more to come from this 6 year old Mare. After winning a very decent Punchestown Bumper on debut for Michael McElhone on debut last year where her trainer said the win was "totally unexpected as she was so light couldn't get any work into her" and having being picked up for €50k by Dan Skelton last year, I thought Stephanie Frances would go on to be one of the leading lights for the yard. However, I felt she was very disappointing in her two starts for her new yard last season (was beaten less than 5L on hurdling debut by some ok sorts) but she looks to be right back on track judged on her latest success. Sent off an unfancied 33/1 shot on debut for a small yard, Stephanie Frances came out as the victor in the large 23 runner field for her small yard beating some very useful sorts in the process. The runner up Wicklow Brave (who had the benefit of experience) from the all powerful Willie Mullins yard went on to win his next 3 Bumpers, a Listed Hurdle and finsihed 6th in this years Supreme Novice at Cheltenham whilst the 3rd home Macnicholson (also had experience) has finished 2nd in a Grade 3 Novice Hurdle subsequently. Given that she beat those talented rivals on debut, coupled with her trainer's comments that she was clearly not as ready as he would have liked her, I thought Stephanie Frances was a horse with a big future in this game. After joining the Skelton yard at the end of June in 2013, Stephanie Frances was well backed to make a winning hurdling debut at Southwell last December where she ran an ok race to finish beaten a little over 4L in 4th behind 3 decent (but not great) animals in a run that definitely disappointed me. Turned out a month later, she was even worse when again well backed into favouritism as she was a very disappointing 6th whilst she didn't jump great and I was beginning to feel that she wasn't as good a prospect as I thought. Off the track for about 8 months, Stephanie Frances returned with a very impressive victory in a Novice Hurdle at Worcester last month and although it was a slowly run race and the opposition wasn't great I couldn't not be impressed by the manner of victory. Held up at the back of 6 runner field, Stephanie Frances made smooth headway up the home straight and despite jumping awkwardly at the final flight she quickened clear from her rivals in fine style and her victory was worth far more value than the 2.5L margin suggests. I wholeheartedly agree with her trainer's comments of that win being "a step back in the right direction" and I think there is a lot more to come from this mare. With a mark of 123, Stephanie Frances doesn't have much to find on official ratings with her competitors and although her hurdling form probably isn't the strongest on offer I believe she her bumper form is the strongest in the field and she has a lot more to offer. Having already shown her effectiveness in a small runner field, she clearly has the pace to cope if this is a tactically run affair but with a couple of her rivals in the field liking to race prominently I think it will be a truly run race. The only Mare in the field, Stephanie Frances gets a 7lb allowance from her male counterparts (does carry a 6lb penalty for her latest victory along with 3 of her rivals) and I think she has an outstanding chance of winning this. Trainer Dan Skelton remains in excellent form at present and having scored on her last start over hurdles I'm confident Stephanie Frances can take another step forward by winning this before going on to bigger and better things.
One of those cards at Ascot where I like quite a few - Puffin Billy - horse who should be fitter for his return and I still think that he can make the grade over fences. Tough race, but he wasn't too far behind Dunraven Storm on return to suggest that he can take a hand in this sphere. Niceonefrankie - was progressive last year but possibly paid for that later in the year. He seems best early season and this mark looks very fair against a modest looking field. Seems to have been supported overnight as well. Ardkilly Witness - smaller field and possibly slower race will suit and if he gets jumping today he is very well handicapped. A big price but possibly one who can throw it away at his fences.
She brought Paul Carberry over to ride one at FFos Las in a bumper a few Mondays ago and it went in easily after being well backed. In fact,Carberry has two rides at Haydock today,both for Curtis.
I fancy Jolly's Cracked It to have improved enough to beat Clondaw Banker again, even on the revised terms, but at the price it's a no bet. Should be very close. In the 3.50 Ascot I think Sweet Deal should pull it off
Very good, completely dominated a fair field. Hope he can progress, the owner and trainer deserve it! Also backed old Grand Vision on his chase debut today, I always thought he would make a quality chaser, and seems the sort to jump a fence. Seems to have been nibbled in the market too.
Stephanie Frances definitely scratched off a horse I'll be following this year. Too bad to be true but couldn't trust her again as.
