It’s been moving day in the Ballymore market with impressive Tolworth winner Constitution Hill cut significantly as punters and the media, fuelled by recency bias and Nicky Henderson’s ramblings, ponder the sense in him taking on his stablemate Jonbon in the Supreme. More significantly perhaps, once ante-post favourite Journey With Me has taken a walk in the market on the exchanges and tightened for the Albert Bartlett, while, in the same Robcour colours, the unbeaten GERRI COLOMBE has been trimmed – and it makes plenty of sense for connections to split them up with the former looking like a stayer. He received a welcome form boost on Sunday as Ailie Rose, who he gave 16lb and an 8½l beating to in his maiden, won at Ayr, who herself had previously gone down 6½l to Gerri Colombe’s stablemate Hollow Games when in receipt of 7lb at Down Royal. In weights and measures terms that suggests Gerri Colombe is 24lb the superior to Ailie Rose and the collateral form puts him 11lb clear of his stablemate. Of course, it isn’t that simple, but form is form and Hollow Games was only beaten 4½l in the Grade 1 Lawlors Of Naas earlier this month and was previously unbeaten in five starts – he’s a very good horse. The Ballymore is currently 8/1 the field on the exchanges with a favourite who trades 9/4 favourite for the Supreme, and of the top ten in the Ballymore betting you would be odds-on that half of them opt for the Supreme or Albert Bartlett. Now is a good time for a bet and Gerri Colombe is the wrong price.
1pt ante-post win Gerri Colombe @20/1, Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
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