Good evening folks
It may be a gruelling watch tomorrow, hopefully Wetherby beats the elements. I have gone win only at this stage on a trio and we saw with Torcello blow outs can happen at this time/stage of the racing year. With that one further selection is as below, along with the ones already sent and their write ups.
3:57 Newmarket
HODLER – 3/4Pt EW @ 8/1 5 places generally
Tipped twice this season, hopefully it’s 3rd time lucky. This horses form figures in Class 4 turf handicaps read 1,2,2,1! I said the first time I tipped him that Ryan Sexton was the key (jocked off on the day) and he duly bounced back to form under LTO at Leicester when he didn’t get a fair run. In fact, Sexton has an incredible 4 wins from 7 rides, ALL 7 placed!! (actual form figs are 1,1,1,2,2,1,2)
He was just beaten in this race last year and returns this time lower in the weights. The big field should suit and with the stable having 3 recent winners, he should run a big race for us in this!
1:15 Wetherby
TRAC – 1/2 Pt EW 25/1 5 places Skybet, 23/1 5 Bet365, 25/1 4 places generally
An improving sort, could go well if ready to go in this off bottom weight. Micky Hammond has his string in fine fettle and targets winners at this track, especially over C & D. Alice Stevens, a useful 7lb claimer, rode a winner the ONLY time she has ventured here and takes his weight down to a dangerous mark. An impressive C & D winner (2 from 4 at this track) I thought Trac was too big to not chance.
1:42 Ayr
WAKOOL – 1.25 Pt Win 6/1 generally
C & D form figures in handicap hurdles reads 1,1,2. He was a facile winner of this very race last year. His trainer is excellent at this track and with a pipe-opener outing on the flat, where he very much caught the eye staying on strongly over 2miles at York after drifting in the betting following a lot of overnight money, he should outclass these.
2:05 Ascot
QUEL DESTIN – 1/2 Pt EW 14/1 4 places Skybet, 16/1 Will Hill, 14’s drifting generally
Paul Nicholls has a cracking record in this and I will chance his bottom weight in this for Bryony who is 1 from 1 aboard him over this trip on soft ground!
He races prominently which I like in chases here and if we get further rain (forecast and surely must be testing already(this horse is 3 from 4 on Heavy!) his extra stamina will prove an asset. Said to be as big as a bull for this seasonal debut, he may need the run badly, but he has gone well first time up before so at the price, all in all, worth chancing.
3:15 Ascot
FAIVOIR – 1/2 Pt EW 22/1 boost 4 places Will Hill, 20/1. 18/1 4 places generally (B.O.G Corals and drifting|)
Last years county hurdle hero, that form is very strong. He is up 5lbs for that gutsy win but Fergus Gillard takes off a useful 3lb. Strangely, this race has gone to the top 2 in the weights 6 of the last 10 times it has been run so class tells. Top weight Camprond will not like this terrain which leaves our fellow who loves it, recording 4 wins from 8, 6 places on ground described as soft or worse!
Dan Skelton is brilliant in handicap hurdles at this track and interestingly he also runs our friend Knickerbockerglory (just beat at a big price when tipped in the Imperial Cup at Sandown and can go well) who should ensure a strong gallop. There are a couple of other pace pushers to keep him honest and if getting that predicted set up, Faivoir will be coming home strongly so well worth a bet at the prices.
3:30 Wetherby
DECORATED – 3/4 Pt Win @ 13/2 generally
Trainer has a cracking record with LTO winners, especially when sending them North. Hopefully he is fit and well as we know he will love the heavy going and I think he can make them all go in this adopting his favourite front running tactics.
3:45 Ascot
MUCHO MAS – 1 Pt Win 8/1 generally
This improving 7 year old has won four of his 12 starts and currently rated 129 over fences. Progressive in novice handicap chases and scored by two lengths from Autonomous Cloud at Lingfield (2m 7 1/2f) in December off mark of 120 and followed up with a length and a quarter success from Feivel in a similar event at Sandown (3m) in March off a mark of 125 in taking fashion. Low weighted younger horses do well in this so if ready to go, and that is the problem and unknown at this early stage with a long season ahead hence win only (£56K race so why wouldn’t he be?) then carrying just 10st 3lb surely goes very well for a yard in good form and jockey is 1 from 1 ever in pen handicaps at the track for them.
Trainer says
He is a horse who had a brilliant season in 2022/23 and should improve markedly again and will have some nice targets this season in staying handicap chases. He is better on soft ground, and he would have gone close in the Bet365 at Sandown, but we didn’t run him as the ground was too quick.