David Clough makes Good Boy Bobby his best bet and has a tip for every race at every meeting in the UK and Ireland.
David Clough selections:
BANGOR: 12.30 Madera Mist, 1.00 Eau Top, 1.30 Miss Amelia, 2.00 GOOD BOY BOBBY (NAP), 2.35 Percy’s Word, 3.05 Wazowski, 3.40 Cathal’s Star, 4.15 Jay Jay Reilly.
CATTERICK: 12.40 Glinbury, 1.10 Highjacked, 1.40 Bolder Bob, 2.10 Praxeology, 2.45 Spycracker 3.15 Redrosezorro, 3.50 B Fifty Two, 4.25 Carlovian.
CHEPSTOW: 12.50 Kaphumor, 1.20 Balmuick, 1.50 Wayfinder, 2.20 Galileo Silver, 2.55 Molliana, 3.25 Doc Penfro, 4.00 No Quarter Asked, 4.35 Stage Star.
SOUTHWELL: 4.50 Puchita, 5.20 Capla Dream, 5.50 Hermocrates, 6.20 World Title, 6.50 Ivaquestion, 7.20 Mountain Dreams, 7.50 Sea Of Mystery.
DOUBLE: Good Boy Bobby and Doc Penfro.
Good Boy Bobby can get his new season off to a winning start in the Oliver Greenall Racing Supporting Malpas Businesses Intermediate Chase at Bangor.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ exuberant front-runner should be in his element round this flat, sharp track.
Good Boy Bobby won just one of four starts in his first season over fences but was ambitiously campaigned, a good second to subsequent Grade Two winner Mister Fisher at Cheltenham in December before moving up to the top level himself in Sandown’s Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.
He was no match there for Itchy Feet and three other very promising young chasers.
Twiston-Davies can be relied on to have him ready for his return here, though, and it is easy to envisage Good Boy Bobby charging round Bangor without being headed.
Elsewhere on a decent card in North Wales, Miss Amelia catches the eye in the swanswaygarages.com Proud To Sponsor Oliver Greenall Racing Handicap Chase.
Mark Walford’s mare was a wide-margin course-and-distance winner from a 10lb lower mark last December – and after two subsequent hurdles runs, she returned to fences with an encouraging third at Hexham this month.
The combination of that much stiffer course and race fitness perhaps caught her out up the hill there, after she had appeared to be in control two out.
There are no such contours to worry about here, and Miss Amelia has already proved she likes it that way.
In division two of the 25th Malise Nicolson Novices’ Handicap Chase, Eau Top looks just the type to run well at rewarding odds.
The six-year-old has so far finished a respectful distance behind the winners of each of his six career starts to date, but has not been disgraced in any of his two bumpers or four hurdle attempts.
He shaped well on his return at Sedgefield last time, before weakening into fifth – and with that under his belt, it will be no surprise if the switch to fences at this modest level proves a wise move by Ben Pauling.
Cathal’s Star can bag his second consecutive victory in the Smartplanner App Sponsor Oliver Greenall Racing Handicap Hurdle.
Nicky Richards’ Sedgefield winner was decisively superior there last month – and although he is up 11lb for that breakthrough first victory, it looked as if there could still be a fair bit more to come after just seven career starts at the age of seven.
Doc Penfro has little mileage on the clock, at the age of eight, but plenty in the way of promise.
None of his eight starts in four previous seasons has yet come over fences under rules – he fell when leading at the last in his only Irish point-to-point.
But Emma Lavelle’s gelding very much looks the part, having run a tremendous race on his most recent start as a narrow runner-up in a most competitive series qualifier handicap at Warwick in January.
On that basis, he is the most interesting contender in the CD Racing At tipstersempire.co.uk Beginners’ Chase at Chepstow.
Southwell stages a seven-race all-weather card, and it may pay to side again with the in-form stable of Antony Brittain in the opening Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider Handicap.
His representative Puchita has won two of her last three over course and distance and is therefore an obvious candidate to go close again, despite a rise of 4lb after she prevailed by just a nose from another course specialist when last seen.
Later on under the floodlights, Sea Of Mystery is of interest.
The Mick Appleby-trained seven-year-old already has a course-and-distance victory to his name and – running into form again – is a likely type in the closing Betway Apprentice Handicap.
