2m½f (2m87y) Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) SHISHKIN just bolted up over hurdles at Newbury. It may have been just a maiden but, having never been sent off odds-against since his purchase, he had clearly been a hype horse from the Henderson yard since blitzing a bumper at Kempton last…
1pt win Pipesmoker @5/1, 13:15 Ascot, Saturday
2m3½f (2m3f58y) Thames Materials Novices’ Hurdle (Class 2) (5yo+) Only the four runners but this is a very good little race. Master Debonair sets a high standard with his course form also coming on bad ground – it may literally be unraceable tomorrow with awful conditions forecast – but his price is prohibitive and…
1pt each-way Mack The Man @8/1, 1pt each-way Thebannerkingrebel @10/1, 15:35 Newbury, Saturday
2m½f Betfair Hurdle (Handicap) (Grade 3) (Class 1) (4yo+) Another excellent looking renewal of the Betfair Hurdle which is set to be run on unusually quick conditions for this time of year. Not So Sleepy looked very impressive on his second start over hurdles when making all at Ascot on…
Dublin Racing Festival day two selections: Never Do Nothing (8/1), Castlebawn West (16/1)
2m Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo) Triumph Hurdle favourite Aspire Tower sets a good standard and probably deserves to be odds-on considering his stand-out piece of form came at Leopardstown, but NEVER DO NOTHING was rated higher on the flat, beating him three times including when conceding 3lb at…
1pt each-way My Sister Sarah @20/1, 12:55 Leopardstown, Sunday
2m2f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+) A very hot looking renewal of this Mares Handicap hurdle. Jeremys Flame brings Grade 1 Novice form into this with a Tolworth second behind leading Supreme Novice contender, Fiddlerontheroof. Jeremys Flame is a general 5/1 and looks…
1pt win Itchy Feet @13/2, 14:25 Sandown, Saturday
2m4f (2m4f10y) Betway Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (Class 1) (5yo+) I’m backing ITCHY FEET to get the better of star mare Laurina, who has to put a disappointing effort last time out behind her. She apparently bled so perhaps can be excused that run, but it wasn’t the first time in her…
1pt win Cash Back @13/2, 14:00 Leopardstown, Saturday
The betting for the Irish Arkle (and indeed the Cheltenham equivalent) is currently dominated by two horses, and one piece of form that separated Notebook from the re-opposing Fakir D’Oudairies in a two mile chase at Leopardstown over the Christmas period. Notebook created a bit of a shock that day…
1pt each-way Count Meribel @8/1, 13:50 Cheltenham, Saturday
2m4½f (New) Paddy Power 45 Sleeps To Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (Class 1) (5yo+) The 45 Sleeps To Cheltenham Trophy Handicap is a big one to win. And the market is currently wide-open with a three-way tie for favouritism with it being hard to rule out many with…
1pt win Timetochill @14/1, 14:40 Doncaster, Saturday
2m½f (2m128y) Napoleons Casino & Restaurant Owlerton Sheffield Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Class 1) (4yo+) On ratings, the 130-rated TIMETOCHILL has a lot to do to win this Grade 2, but she beat Notre Paris well enough two starts ago, and that equally-rated foe looked well handicapped when crashing out at the…
1pt ante-post win Slate House @9/1, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday
3m1½f (3m1f56y) (New) Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) (Class 1) (5yo+) Colin Tizzard has all but confirmed his Grade 1-winning novice chaser SLATE HOUSE a runner in Saturday’s Cotswold Chase, and at 9/1 the betting market hasn’t reacted, which really surprises me. He was the stand-out entry in the race on Monday and I…
1pt each-way Bennys King @12/1, 15:00 Ascot, Saturday
2m5f bet365 Handicap Chase (Class 2) (5yo+) Venetia Williams has been in ruthless form over the winter and she has another promising sort in the shape of Espoir De Guye. He was put up a stone for his success here last month in a handicap chase and looks smart. But…