The All-Weather is providing us with winners at a big-price of late, 9/1 Monday (10/1 SP) and yesterday, SANAADH at 7/1 (14/1 SP!) with a cool ride from Joe Fanning getting in front when it mattered at the death an never looking troubled.
And to pat myself on the back a little more, let us see what I said ahead of the race:
“SANAADH is a selection, based upon what he produced around about this time last year over course & distance, his speed figure back on 19 February 2020 would out-strip all in the field, however some rather stop-start performances later on in the year did not show this horse to it’s best. Let us hope Michael Wigham has him ticking over with Joe Fanning on board”
Lovely stuff, I always record at the price I was able to take, limited accounts makes it difficult for me to get on but always nice to see one drift in the market and still go in.
King of May also placed over at Wetherby, providing us a slight return on that selection each-way, in what was a messy old race, with our other fancy Billingsley doing exactly as expected and leading from the front and setting a fair old clip, until, sadly, crashing out (thankfully both horse and rider okay).
Leicester
14:10 – A Class 1 affair for the mares over at Leicester, the top two in the market (in a 4 runner affair) are primed for what should be a fun match-race, the favourite, Zambella put in two impressive performances at Warwick and Bangor towards the end of 2020 and is liked by the Twiston-Davies yard as one of their fancied prospects.
Paul Nicholls who seemingly won everything at the weekend, trains the impressive looking Cut the Mustard previously in the hands of Willie Mullins..
However, NORTHERN BEAU is our selection, a renowned front-runner who might be difficult to peg back if she gets a handsome lead, in truth, it is the price only that dictates the selection, 28/1 is far to big, if the two fancied horses do not quite take to it, let us hope the Michael Scudamore and Brendan Powell ridden mare can do it for us.
NORTHERN BEAU 22/1 0.5PT WIN
14:40 – FIL D’ARIANE returned after a 308 day break to win at Leicester on Soft at the end of November, producing a speed-figure above and beyond all of the field. Trainer, Tom Symonds has a 26% strike-rate with last time out winners over Jumps, therefore at the prices and considering his form, he is the selection, the well fancied favourite, Fanfaron Dino is incredibly well treated by the handicapper at only 10.2 but still has a way to go on the speed-figures to catch some of these.
SAN SEB is a further play for the in-form Fergal O’Brien yard, when partnering with Paddy Brennan the yard has a nigh on 30% strike rate at Leicester and whilst this is normally a race for front-runners, the Heavy ground will hopefully ensure those at the front tire, allowing our pair to be in the mix at the end.
FIL D’ARIANE 9/2 1.5PT EW
SAN SEB 11/1 0.5PT EW
Plumpton
14:30 – In this Veterans’ Handicap Chase, ORCHARDSTOWN CROSS trained by Jeremy Cross is the selection, at the top of the weights, the combination of trainer and Rex Dingle on board has a 20% strike-rate, a hold-up horse, on what is reported as Good to Soft (?!?!?), he has ran well enough two out of his last 3 races (the other pulled up) and is the selection at the prices.
Young Turk is also a selection, at a 100/1 and once trained by Joseph O’Brien and Gordon Elliot he was at one point thought of by sometime to be a relatively useful sort, pulled up in all 3 races at the back-end of last year, so he may be just absolutely hopeless, but equally in the Summer he won at Tramore at 28/1 so maybe, just maybe…
ORCHARDSTOWN CROSS 11/2 1PT EW
YOUNG TURK 100/1 0.5PT EW
Horse Racing Selections 