Probably the best Scoop 6 preview in the world...

[Mabbs]

I was really looking forward to going through the Scoop 6 races until I saw them. There is possibly 1 out of the 6 races where I have a reasonably strong fancy, but most of them look like absolute minefields. Let's see what we can come up with in the quest to become a millionaire this Saturday afternoon. Race 1 – 2.00 Cheltenham There are some of my least favourite jump horses in training in this field. Joe Lively ran some good races at the start of last season but then seemed to lose the plot and look distinctly average. He has at least won a couple of races here and you'd imagine he'd come on for the run behind Parson's Legacy, who re-opposes today on 6lbs worse terms. It should be reasonably close between those 2. Halcon Genelardis is the class horse in the race but for that reason he's got the burden of 11st 12lb on his back. He's vulnerable giving that sort of weight to the field. You can't knock Comply Or Die but I think I'd want to see him run this season before backing him again. Some horses are never quite the same after the rigours of the Grand National. Simon would have a cracking chance but he's started to be consistently inconsistent. He fell in the National and like Comply Or Die I'd prefer to see what his attitude is like after that race but I think he'll put up a good show if he negotiates the fences OK. Although Beat The Boys is out the handicap, he could go well with just 10st on his back. He looked impressive last time when winning at Cheltenham, beating Joe Lively in the process, but I think it probably looked better than it actually was. Dom D'Orgeval and Karanja both have something to prove for me would both need to run the race of their lives to win this. The one I keep coming back to is Venetia William's Flintoff. He is inconsistent but ran a good race from out of the handicap in the Scottish National. She certainly knows how to get her horses ready first time out and her stable is in good form at the minute. You oppose Paul Nicholls at your peril and you can make excuses for his last two runs but Opera Mundi's form figures just don't inspire me with enough confidence to back him. It was a good prize he won at Haydock but I just don't feel the horses there were anything like 2 or 3 of the opposition today. There are no strong trends here at all. Shortlist: Halcon Genelardis, Simon and Flintoff. Selection: Simon Race 2 – 2.35 Cheltenham I've been looking forward to this race for a while and it's one of my favourite races of the jumps season, probably a race I've managed to back the winner in more times than any other. I'm not sure whether it's as much through luck as judgement though. Personally, I think you have to take on Silverburn. He's going to be a banker for a lot of casual punters on the back of Paul Nicholls bullish comments. While I really respect him as a trainer, I've heard him talk up his horses before and them not live up to the hype. The ones that are special he tends to be more cautious about. Remember before Denman destroyed the rest of the field in the Hennessy? He was very downbeat about his chances before the race. Silverburn's form doesn't amount to anything out the ordinary for me. I know he's had his wind op and I know he's open to a lot of improvement but 7/2 is far too short as far as I'm concerned. Going through the race from top to bottom I knocked out a lot of them quite quickly and am left with Ouzbeck, Stan, Vodka Bleu, Barbers Shop, Fleet Street and Private Be. On their last encounter here last month and for the fact that Private Be could well have needed the run after his op, I'd fancy him to get the better of Ouzbeck today on revised terms. Vodka Bleu looks over priced and the stable command plenty of respect in this race but it's hard to see him winning off this mark. Stan is another who is more likely to place than actually win but he did run a cracker at Ascot at the start of the month. The two Henderson horses probably make most appeal. I rate Barry Geraghty above any other jump jockey and his ride Barbers Shop would have a great chance on his run behind a horse Barry rode to victory at the Festival, Finger Onthe Pulse. For some reason though, Fleet Street is jumping out at me. The stable won with a 2nd string in Sentry Duty at Ascot at the start of the month also ridden by Andrew Tinkler. The horse's form isn't spectacular but his two runs here have both been very good, one behind Brave Inca over hurdles and the other was in the race at Festival behind Finger Onthe Pulse and stable mate Barbers Shop. He wasn't far away that day and should finish quite close to Barbers Shop again on these terms. He's no 25/1 shot imo. Shortlist: Barbers Shop, Fleet Street and Private Be. Selection: Fleet Street. Race 3 – 2.55 Wetherby It's hard to get as enthusiastic about this race as I have about the previous two but the winner still needs to be found. The one that immediately jumped out at me was Laertes. He should come on for the run at Carlisle and has the cheekpieces back on which should help. The jockey takes a useful 7lbs of his back, he's won here in the past and this small stable have had a couple of winners in the last two weeks. I'd imagine top weight Leading Man will need the run and Ice Tea hasn't really made his mark in handicap company. Rackalackey's stable are in good form so he can't be dismissed lightly and if Shrewd Investor can manage to complete, he could go better than his odds suggest. Shortlist: Rackalackey and Laertes. Selection: Laertes. Race 4 – 3.10 Cheltenham This is another race where I think two horses at big prices can go well. Copsale Lad is an old favourite of mine. He's never really lived up to his potential and he is 11 years old now but I still think he's capable on his day. It would need to be a career best from a handicap point of view but I still don't think he's badly handicapped, he just doesn't win as often as he should. The dark horse in the field is Carl Llewellyn's Best Actor. He's an unknown quantity and has been off the track an awful long time but he's the type of horse Llewellyn does well with and he's also gone well fresh in the past. He's very lightly raced and could well shake up those at the front of the market. Of the rest, Fair Along could well be suited by the step up in trip. He's a bit of an enigma but his talent is unquestionable. He often throws in some weird runs but he has stayed on really well in the past when looking beat early on. This step up in trip could see him defy the high handicap mark. Shortlist: Fair Along, Best Actor and Copsale Lad. Selection: Copsale Lad. Race 5 – 3.25 Wetherby I backed Pay Attention last time out when she fell but she probably needed that outing and she is back over hurdles off a competitive mark. Smoothly Does It is 2 from 2 here and can't be dismissed lightly but is possibly too high in the handicap to win. The one lurking towards the bottom of the handicap is the Howard Johnson trained Knockavilla. This course and distance winner could be absolutely anything and the stable are just coming into form. Shortlist: Pay Attention, Smoothly Does It and Knockavilla. Selection: Knockavilla. Race 6 – 3.45 Cheltenham Anyone still going by this point is going to be bricking it and the fact that this race is so open isn't going to make them feel any better. I didn't really fancy Busker Royal at Ascot but he was well backed and gave a solid if unspectacular performance to win by half a length. He looks worth taking on here with top weight. The more I get stuck into this race the more horrible it looks but I think the one to be with is Graham Lee's mount Hernando Royal. His 2nd to American Trilogy at Aintree looks good form and his mark of 116 doesn't look unreasonable. Salute Him is hard to assess as all runners from the Martin stable usually are. He could win easily or he could drift out to double figures and run a shocker, there is no way of knowing. Shortlist: Keki Buku, Weather Front and Hernando Royal. Selection: Hernando Royal.

[Spooner]

Re: Probably the best Scoop 6 preview in the world... Nice write up Mabbs. Good luck. :ok