Racing Chat - Thursday Aug 22nd

[BillyHills]

Nap: 155 Y: Liberty Beach 7/4 Hills

Nb: 400 Ch: Valentino Sunrise 9/4 bet365

Others

300 Y: Kynren EW 6/1 bet365

 

[Darran]

I couldn't believe Skinflint got beat again and the winner won so easy as well. Possibly the 2nd and 3rd set it up for a closer, but I think he was probably just unfortunate again. I don't think there is anything wrong with his attitude he just keeps bumping into one. I'm sure connections must be pulling their hair out. At least Teeton Power landed the spoils and Adam gave her the perfect ride, they even gifted her a few lengths lead at the start to help. It was a good bit of placing from connections as well as this was a very weak contest. I'm sure she will be back over fences and 2m4/2m6f at somewhere like Stratford should be ideal for her. 

 

Speaking of Stratford there are 3 worth backing there on Wednesday. The 2.40 sees Meldrum Lad return to handicapping and he looks well worth a bet. He was one of those I put up on Hunter Chase night and he was impressive under a cracking ride from Becky to come through late on to score. Usually those sort of tactics don't work so well round here, but there looks like there should be a decent pace on and it could well set things up for a closer. Becky is a really good jockey and her taking 3lbs off certainly doesn't do any harm. His beating of Buck Dancing at Hornby Castle has obviously worked out as great form itself and I think the form of the course and distance win is rock solid as well. Off 127 I would hardly say he is chucked in, but then this doesn't look a strong race for the grade and the 7/1 looks a good price to me. Pink Eyed Pedro could well be the main danger. Up in grade, but I do think he is in the form of his life and will enjoy this return to fences. Again he probably wouldn't want to be any higher in the handicap, but we know he's in good form and it isn't hard to see him hitting the frame again.

 

In the 3.50 the front 3 in the betting at the time of writing are all horses who have been pointing or hunter chasing this year and there is no doubt that High Hatton is easily the best handicapped of the 3. Not only does he have the highest pointing rating of the 3, but he gets plenty of weight from them as well. He is a bet although not as strong as one as that makes him sound. The problem is he only beat 3 horses in his two wins in May so that form isn't anything special and he has always been prone to throwing a complete stinker in. Even so a mark of 85 is one that he could easily exploit and his trainer has done well with his recruits.

 

Master Sunrise was a winner for us at Worcester last month although the form of that race has taken some massive knocks. We know he is a hard ride though and Richard Johnson is the perfect jockey for him. Given how well he ran in the 4m race at Cheltenham until he didn't stay this trip shouldn't be an issue for him, it is mainly a case of if he wants to know or not, but there is every chance he could and he might and I will be having a saver on him. Velvet Cognac ran well to finish 2nd at Fontwell and can be given a chance on that although he isn't exactly the most consistent either. Outside of that the only other one for me you can give a chance to is Scottshill who won well at Warwick in May, but around that his form has been awful so hard to know what he is going to do either.

 

At Fontwell I am going to have a small bet on Desert Roe in the opener. Granted he hasn't had to beat many horses in his points, but it is enough to suggest he is in the best form of his life and he might be capable of winning a race like this off 95 especially as we know he handles quick ground. It could be that Black Anthem will be too hard to beat though. He beat Skinflint easily last week and gets to run off the same mark as that was over fences and this is over hurdles. Quick ground is an unknown though and he was beaten in-between his two wins so he's not bombproof as much as he's the most likely winner. Brown Bear has run OK the last twice round here, but he hardly looks well handicapped and the other 3 don't appear to have much of a chance.

 

Bets

Meldrum Lad 2.40 Stratford

High Hatton 3.50 Stratford with saver on Master Sunrise

Desert Roe 4.40 Fontwell