Our star daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey had a 6/1 winner yesterday - don't miss their tips for Tuesday's action.
1pt win Wake Up Early in the 4.20 Fakenham at 11/1 (General, min 10/1)
0.5pts e.w Cabhfuilfungi in the 7.00 Hereford at 13/2 (1/5 1,2,3 General, min 6/1)
Rory gets the jitters about me putting one up at Fakenham in the same way I do when he starts looking at Bath or Brighton (“NO MORE BETS AT TRACKS BEGINNING WITH A B, DO YOU HEAR ME?”) but the early prices for this year’s renewal of the Norfolk National just look wrong, and anything north of 10-1 about last year’s third WAKE UP EARLY look worth taking.
He led every yard until the last 110yds just found him out last year, beaten just over two lengths in third, and was then found to have bled from the nostrils, so that rates a terrific effort and one that would give him every chance here. To emphasise how well handicapped he is today, he was giving second home Jony Max a pound last year after the rider’s claim was taken into account, yet he gets 5lb from that rival today, and you’d fancy that will be enough to turn the form around.
He comes here fresh, which is fine as he ran his best race this season first time up, and although his last two efforts saw him pull up at Fontwell and here at Fakenham, you can basically forget about his winter form; he’s a horse saved for good ground in the spring and summer, and all those runs served was to get his mark down to something much more workable. A lot to like about this C&D winner’s chances, particularly with the yard still in great form (six winners from 19 runners in the past fortnight).
My Chiquita has some impressive-looking form figures, unbeaten in two starts to date over hurdles, but the bottom line is that she was well placed to beat very little in those outings, and a mark of 115 looks plenty on what she’s achieved.
Two of her opponents make some appeal. Just Loose Change really ought to have won a race this season by now, probably the race at Taunton in December when he was given plenty to do before coming home well for second, but there’s definite ability there and this is an easier test than the last couple he’s faced. He’s gone well fresh before so an absence since shouldn’t be an issue.
CABHFUILFUNGI won a little maiden hurdle at Southwell last year but didn’t progress, and connections moved him from Gary Hanmer to Kerry Lee over the winter. He travelled like the winner at Hereford last time but just couldn’t quite finish his race off, fading late for second, but as that was his first start since November you’d like to think he’d come on a touch for the run. There’s likely as not a bit more left in the locker, and with fitness assured, he just gets the nod.
Bottom line here is, what price do you make Therapist on his handicap debut, particularly now he gets a sound surface to run on?
A 1¼m winner at Newmarket for Andrew Balding last July, he was rated 81 when he left the yard at the end of the season; since then, he’s shown only moderate form in three starts for Nicky Henderson, although he might well have gone close at Doncaster in December but for taking a nasty fall two out. All three starts to date have been with cut, but he needed good ground or quicker to show his form on the Flat, and so an initial hurdles rating of just 90 means he could be absolutely thrown in here.
Posted at 0920 BST on 07/05/24
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