Good afternoon folks
Just the one further selection for tomorrow, with the full list of selections already tipped and reasoning attached below.
Nothing more from me for Saturday so I will next be back Monday with the usual round up and week ahead mail.
1:10 Sandown
COPPERHEAD– 1/2 Pt Each way @ 18/1 4 places generally
A chance is taken on this horse in the hope a return to hurdles and running on a right handed track on soft ground suiting him admirably.
He ran a cracker in the Final of this race at Cheltenham off a mark of 143 and now runs off a favourable looking 134. He is 1 from 1 at this course and he is another who has a brilliant record running this way around, especially over hurdles (granted it’s going back a while) where he is 2 wins and a place from 3 runs!
Harry Cobden looks an interesting booking as he is running at a 33% Win SR at this track in the last 365 days so all in all I thought worth a poke with stamina his forte.
2:05 Aintree
NOW WHERE OR WHEN– 1/2 Pt Each way @ 33/1 Skybet 7 places, 33/1 5 places generally
PERCUSSION– 1/2 Pt Each way @ 28/1 Bet365 5 places, 25/1 6 places, 20/1 generally
Since 2010, only one horse from 68 have carried over more than 11st or more so weight tells definitely. Now Where Or When’s trainer Simon Crawford has banged in 4 winners from his last 6 runners! and the horse’s 3rd to Dusart in a Graded Chase was a cracking effort.
Percussion stayed on well against our tip and fav for this, Gesskille, LTO after 6 months off over these fences (proven important also in this event) so the extra yardage, which he has won over, should also see him bang on the premises, both granted the ususal luck in running here.
2:20 Sandown
HERMES BOY– 1 Pt Each way @ 8/1 Will Hill (boost) 4 places, 13/2 Skybet 4, 15/2 generally
Hermes Boy has his quirks and sometimes hangs and 1st time cheekpieces looks a good move (yard have decent record when doing so), but he is a talented individual to be running off such an ordinary mark, and these are his sort of conditions. He was well beaten at Worcester a few weeks back on his seasonal return but shaped very much as if that would bring him on, like very much of the Jane Williams inmate’s. His form against last month’s Greatwood hurdle winner, I Like To Move It, makes him look seriously well treated off just 119 and with the stable/jockey combo now flying and the trainer having an all time record of 1 winner, 4 placers from 6 runners over C & D, I thought a big run looked on the cards.
2:40 Aintree
EMPIRE STEEL– 1/2 Pt Each way @ 28/1 Coral 4 places, 20/1 (drifting so may get bigger later) 4 places generally
Bred to get better with age, this now 8 year old may find this trip on the sharp side on seasonal debut but I feel he can go well. His trainer is in flying form (8 winners from 23, 13 places & a tremendous 7 from 16, 10 placed with this jockey doing the steering in the last 30 days) and this horse’s record 1st time up reads a remarkable 1,1,1,2!!
As I said, he may being targeted at bigger things, with this run being a sharpener, but the price was to big IMO given that record and form of the yard with possible further improvement to come. Either way, he is one to keep on side this season.
3:15 Aintree
BOLD PLAN– 3/4 Pt Each way @ 25/1 4 places Bet365, 20/1 4 generally
A progressive, smooth traveller I like, he often needs his seasonal debut where he ran well at Kempton (right handed) before the lack of a run told. He looked as good as ever at the backend of the season and his record going on left handed tracks quite impressive so this looks a plan. He is 3 wins from 9 efforts, 6 places this way around which improves further to 3 wins from 7, 4 placers over hurdles! He likes to snuggled into the race so two hurdles in the straight look in his favour and I can see him arriving on the scene nicely now stripped fitter and quickened away at the finish to go close.