Author: Joel Roberts

We’ve enjoyed a profitable Christmas of punting so far after La Bague Au Roi (8/1) and Elegant Escape (11/2) returned winners – and while the British action takes a break before Saturday, Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival rolls on to Friday’s card where the Savills Chase, formerly the Lexus, is the feature.…

This year’s King George looks well up to scratch, yet it’s my head that’s received most of the scratching because you could make a case for most of the field. The first observation to make is defending champion and Gold Cup-second Might Bite’s drifting price – he’s out to 4/1…

Santini is a solid favourite for the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase but I’m keen to take him on as he’s graduated from a generation of novice hurdlers who have been pants in open company over hurdles this season, and the best of his form last year hasn’t yet…

SAM SPINNER has to be the bet in Ascot’s 2.25 Long Walk Hurdle after winning the race cosily last year. He’s a generous 6/1 despite boasting the best form in the race, but does have to improve markedly on both his seasonal reappearance – where he was brought down when…

Last year’s novice hurdlers have been very disappointing so far this season so Summerville Boy isn’t the most imposing favourite for the Grade 2 International Hurdle – he might want softer ground than this and his jumping is rubbish too. The New One has won this three times so must…

The Ladbrokes Trophy is the big race of the weekend, although we’ve not got the best renewal to look forward to with only 14 runners and none in the Gold Cup picture – none yet, anyway. I like backing classy horses in this race – those with Grade 1 hopes…

Gold Cup 1-2 Native River and MIGHT BITE face off in the Betfair Chase on Saturday, as Grade 1 action over jumps returns to Britain. With ex-star Thistlecrack and the up-and-coming Clan Des Obeaux also in opposition as well as last year’s runaway winner Bristol De Mai, it’s a seriously hot renewal.…

Ascot hosts a decent jumps card on Saturday and there’s a solid renewal of the Christy Chase to ponder. The favourite Politologue runs well fresh having won on his reappearance the last two years, and his Grade 1 winning exploits of last season make him the right favourite. There is…

The Hobbs yard is in flying form, in stark contrast to last season, when a bug in the yard plagued them all year. There’s more than a good chance that was to blame for 2017 Triumph Hurdle winner DEFI DU SEUIL‘s difficult season, and real reason to believe he’ll bounce…

Right then. The jumps are very much back as Cheltenham hosts its three-day November meeting – the biggest this side of Christmas. The hot and dry summer and lack of rain this autumn means ground conditions are unseasonably fast, with Cheltenham officially riding the slow side of good this weekend.…