I had a bad day..... and my belief that city would win today (easily at that) made me lose quite a bit.....
1.55 Kempton – Get A Tonic – 11/8 Bet365, Skybet, William Hill, Bet Victor, otherwise 5/4. She had a really good first season over hurdles, winning 3 times and running well in listed races on a number of occasions. She took another step forward on her return to action when an excellent 2nd to Botox Has in a competitive handicap at Haydock. Back into a mares races here, this isn’t anywhere near as competitive as that Haydock race, she’s proven on soft ground and will be very hard to beat. 3.40 Kempton – Kandoo Kid (e/w) – 7/1 Bet365, generally 6/1 Majority of bookmakers paying top 4 places. Lightly raced and very much unexposed, he won his only run last year in a novice hurdle when getting the better of Shalllwehavenomore. Based on that run alone an opening handicap mark of 132 looks workable and he’s sure to be much sharper for his return run when 3rd at Ascot. That was his first run for over a year and he ran as though he’d improve a good deal for the outing. He’s also proven on soft ground. 14.10 Chepstow , Bells of Peterboro 1 point e/w @ 10/1@ BET365 , PADDY POWER, BETFAIR 1,20 Kempton, Lac De Constance, impressive debut win, jumps for fun, the one to beat. – 11/8 most bookies. 1,55 Kempton, Get A Tonic, very good mare, drop in class, strongly fancied. – 5/4 most bookies. 2,50 Chepstow, Wouldubewell, better for comeback run, marathon trio ideal, nicely weighted, nice price. – each way, 25/1 most bookies, top 5 places
Be lucky 1:03 pm Catterick - Haas Boy 6/4 (3 Points) 3:20 pm Newcastle - Dream Hrder 5/4 (1 Point) 15.40 Leicester, Gerolamo Cardano 2pt each-way @ 13.00 most bookies (5 places @ 1/5) 12:35 Leopardstown, Clody Valley 0.5pt each-way @ 34.00 Bet365, SkyBet, Betway, LiveScoreBet (6 places @ 1/5) 15:15 Limerick, Time Marches On 0.5pt each-way @ 7.00 most bookies (5 places @ 1/5) 2,20 Leopardstown, Galvin, won this last year, forget last time, classy type and big chance. - each way, 11/2 most bookies. 2,55 Leopardstown, I Am Maximus, more to come over fences, cheek pieces on, strongly fancied. – 4/5 most bookies.
Small profit again yesterday, let’s hope today is the big one. Be lucky 12.28 Kelso, Deluxe Range 1pt each-way @ 11.00 most bookies (4 places @ 1/5) 11.53 Kelso, Rath An Luir 1pt each-way @ 8.00 SkyBet, Unibet, Coral (4 places @ 1/5 15:35 Limerick, Glenabo Bridge 0.5pt each-way @ 26.00 most bookies (5 places @ 1/5) 18:30 Southwell, Zealot 1,55 Doncaster, Walking On Air, step up in trip to suit, fitter for comeback run, strongly fancied. – 7/4 most bookies. 2,20 Leopardstown, State Man, high class hurdler, fully expected to win, he’s Ireland main Champion Hurdle horse. – 5/6 most bookies. 2,40 Doncaster, Gesskille, improving chaser, bit run at Aintree, drier ground to suit, fancied. – 5/2 most bookies
Be lucky 12.30 HAYDOCK, Mr Harp 1 point e/w @ 9/1 SkyBet, Betfred, Unibet 1/5 @ 1234 places 15.00 HAYDOCK, Samuel Jackson 1 point e/w @ 14/1 Betfred, Coral, Unibet 1/5 @ 1234 places 2.00 Haydock – Easy As That – generally 10/3 Has yet to fulfil the promise he showed when winning both his starts in NH flat races impressively, mainly due to his poor hurdling technique, which did improve when bolting up on his final run over hurdles. He jumped okay on his chase debut, but couldn’t match the winner for pace over two miles and will appreciate stepping up in trip here. He acts very well in soft conditions and is taken to prove himself still to be well handicapped, as he has some engine and when putting it all together is better than a 126 horse Taunton 13:45, Kayf Hernando 2pts win @ 4.00 WilliamHill, BetVictor, PariMatch 2,30 Haydock, Fine Casting, soft ground winner, Cheltenham form very solid, can make up for defeat lats time. – 10/3 most bookies. 5:00 pm Wolverhampton - Man On A Mission 6/4 (2 Points) 6,00 Wolverhampton, Scriptwriter, classy type, fit from the jumps, can give weight away. – 11/4 most bookies. 6.30 Wolverhampton, Giorgio Vasari, unlucky last time, improving sprinter, more to come. – 2/1 most bookies 19:00 Wolverhampton, Irv 0.5pt each-way @ 17.00 most bookies (4 places @ 1/5)
Here we go again. Great day of profits yesterday. Be lucky 11,50 Lingfield, Maysong, consistent handicapper, in top form, well fancied. – each way, 5/1 most bookies. 1,50 Newbury, Pikar, improving hurdler, impressive last time, well regarded and fancied. – 2/1 most bookies. 1,57 Punchestown, Run For Oscar, high class stayer, still improving, the one to beat. – 11/8 most bookies 12.33 Uttoxeter, Mutual Respect 2pt each-way @ 9.50 most bookies (4 places @ 1/5) 13.35 Warwick, One Fer Mamma 2pt each-way @ 6.00 several bookies (4 places @ 1/5) 12.10 Newbury – Grivetana – generally 11/10 A notebook horse when she made her reappearance here at Newbury when seemingly in need of the outing, she took a real step forward for that outing when going close back here last time. Runner up in the smart First Street in what was a decent handicap hurdle, she went out on her shield having set a strong pace, which the majority of the field couldn’t keep up with. She stuck to her task really well and it’s a surprise she has only been raised 1lb for that effort. This rates a fair drop in class and she should be hard to beat. 1.50 Newbury – Pikar – 9/4 Bet365, Corals, Ladbrokes, generally 2/1 Highly tried in 3 runs over hurdles last year, in races won by Knappers Hill, I Like To Move It and Jonbon, he won his novice on his reappearance at Chepstow in fine style. The form of that race has worked out really well and a mark of 130 for his handicap debut looks potentially very lenient. He missed an engagement in a better race here at the end of November and connections looks to have found him a nice opening. The step up in trip will suit and it’d be a surprise if he wasn’t a 140+ horse in time. Already Advised. 2.40 Lingfield – Sunset Bay – 9/2 Bet365, 4/1 Paddy Power, William Hill, Bet Victor, Unibet. Others yet to price up. A horse we’ve been waiting to run in a handicap over this trip ever since she ran a cracker when 2nd to over 7f at Newbury in August 2021. That was a really strong run in this grade, but she’s been highly tried in either listed or group company ever since and invariably over 7f which is a trip just shy of what she wants. She’s run well fresh, including a decent effort on her reappearance in August in a listed race and is nicely handicapped. We expect her to prove herself better than this opposition. Early Advise for Sunday: 1.55 Cheltenham – Nassalam (e/w) – 20/1 Bet365, generally 16/1 & Top 5 Places. With plenty of rain forecast, Nassalam should get his preferred conditions on Sunday and with the race being stages on the ‘New Course’ which represents a slightly stiffer test of stamina than the ‘Old Course’ the venue for his last outing in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, he has a lot more in his favour than he did there. He’s very much at his best on soft ground, with his best hurdles runs coming in those conditions, including when 2nd in a Grade 1 behind Adagio. He’s also won two of his three chase starts under those conditions. He wears Cheekpieces here for the first time to just keep him focused on the job in hand and is expected perform better than he did last time with conditions to suit, which should see him put up a massive run. Notebook Comments: Cheltenham, Nassalam Having jumped and travelled well, he was badly outpaced as the race got serious and lost a number of places just after jumping the open ditch, four fences from home. He looked to be struggling and wasn’t helped when hampered by a faller 3 out, pushing him even further back, as a result when turning for home he was in last place. To his credit he then stayed on really well to finish a highly respectable 6th, finishing as well as the principles on the run in from the final fence. He has to go left handed as shown when running no race at Ascot last time, as he continually jumped to his left. He’s also a much better horse on soft ground, so was understandably outpaced here on ground quicker than ideal. He’s still only a 5yo and can certainly be competitive in these top class handicaps when getting his preferred conditions.
