Author: Joel Roberts

2m½f (2m87y) (Old) Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Registered As The Fred Winter) (Grade 3) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo) This race is ridiculously competitive so I wouldn’t be going anywhere near the favourites. SAGE ADVICE is the one I keep coming back to. Rated 79 on the flat, he only made his hurdles debut in…

At first glance of this market, I was surprised to see the brilliantly named BAREBACK JACK at 6/1 after he impressed last time out, remaining unbeaten and taking the scalp of the useful Third Time Lucki. My Drogo is very good and his form really stands up to scrutiny after…

There’s not much in the way of obvious value in the Grade 1 races for the upcoming Cheltenham races at this stage, but BOB OLINGER is several times the price he should be in the non-runner no bet markets for the Supreme. Make no mistake, his form entitles him to…

Nicky Henderson only has a couple of horses left in the Supreme as all have either fluffed their lines or been sidelined. GIPSY DE CHOISEL is a big price for the opener in March but his form stands up to scrutiny. He traveled powerfully at Ascot behind Metier on his…

I’ve backed Nicky Henderson’s LECALE’S ARTICLE to win the Ballymore non-runner no bet at 20/1. He was bought for €320k two seasons ago after winning a point but missed last season through injury. He’s been campaigned very similarly to Shishkin as a novice hurdler, starting out by landing the same…

Joseph O’Brien hit a bit of form on Saturday with a 1-2-4 in the handicap hurdle and Fakir D’oudairies placing second in the Dublin Chase. He has been out of sorts this season and that might just be a valid reason to expect his runners are underestimated. BUSSELTON was a…

The market has clearly forgiven both Minella Indo and Delta Work for their falls in the Savills Chase, but Kemboy was clearly close to his best in that race and his best form might be a notch above anything the fallers have achieved. Kemboy prefers better ground and that might…

Energumene is all the rage and odds-on for the Irish Arkle but this is a deep renewal and he was far from the top of the potential Arkle pecking order in the Mullins yard at the start of the season. Mullins was glowing in his praise of UNEXCEPTED in his…

Honeysuckle faces a far sterner test than twelve months ago in the Irish Champion Hurdle and I’m keen to taker her on over a trip she doesn’t look to like. The type to take her on with is a bona fide 2m hurdler and SALDIER fits that bill as his…

2m5f  (Winter) Ladbrokes Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (GBB Race)  (Class 1) (4yo+) A wide open race but the one that’s caught my eye is SHANG TANG for the Emma Lavelle team. He fell at the first last time out, which is a little ironic as his slick jumping appears his best asset. On…