Ranch Hand at Haydock is Anita Chambers' best Wednesday bet and she has a tip for every race at every meeting in the UK and Ireland.
Anita Chambers' selections:
DUNDALK: 2.00 Magic Charm, 2.30 Gormanston, 3.05 Boitron, 3.40 Hale Bopp, 4.15 Taylored, 4.45 Pillar, 5.15 Well Suited, 5.45 Juyush.
HAYDOCK: 12.10 Bushypark, 12.45 Torn And Frayed, 1.15 Doc Penfro, 1.50 RANCH HAND (NAP), 2.20 Seeyouatmidnight, 2.55 The Cob, 3.30 Tamar Bridge.
KEMPTON: 5.00 Global Acclaim, 5.30 Razor Glass, 6.00 Premier Power, 6.30 Sinjaari, 7.00 Redgrave, 7.30 Mr Tyrrell, 8.00 Mr Mac, 8.30 Purple Paddy.
LINGFIELD: 11.30 Beat The Breeze, 12.00 Make It Rain, 12.35 Wannabe Safe, 1.05 Haizoom, 1.40 Alminoor, 2.10 Decadent, 2.45 Blame Culture, 3.20 Battle Of Marathon.
LUDLOW: 12.20 Guildhall, 12.55 Miss Gemstone, 1.30 Midnights’ Gift, 2.05 Truckin Away, 2.35 Stoney Mountain, 3.10 Mr Washington, 3.45 Booley Beach.
DOUBLE: Ranch Hand and Sinjaari.
It is a big day for racing on Wednesday as limited crowds return to racecourses, and there is plenty for spectators to get their teeth into across all four British meetings.
Haydock probably provides the pick of the action, with the promising Ranch Hand lining up in the Listen To Weighed-In On Betfair ‘Introductory’ Hurdle following a debut win over obstacles earlier this month.
Andrew Balding’s runner finished the Flat season on a mark of 106, rounding off with a fine Listed victory at Newmarket in September before connections took the hurdling route.
The four-year-old was duly sent off an odds-on favourite on his first try over hurdles at Exeter, setting out to make all and wandering around a bit at the beginning before knuckling down when it mattered to win by half a length.
While it was not the demolition job some might have hoped for, Ranch Hand did enough to win and will surely be wiser for the experience as he takes on a couple of similarly promising individuals.
At the other end of the scale, Seeyouatmidnight is in the twilight of his career, but he can show the fire still burns bright in what is a cracking My Odds Boost On Betfair Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
Whisper, Burtons Well and The Dutchman all feature in this extended three-mile-one-furlong contest, but it is 12-year-old Seeyouatmidnight who gets the vote on his seasonal bow.
Sandy Thomson’s charge has some smart form in the book – not least when third in the 2016 Scottish National – and he was last seen landing a similar event to this at Carlisle back in March, just days before racing’s Covid-19 shutdown.
He does not have many miles on the clock for a horse of his age – and while his fitness must be taken on trust, he has a touch of class.
Doc Penfro ran into a possible Festival contender in The Big Breakaway on his fencing bow and is a likely type in the the Back And Lay On The Betfair Exchange Novices’ Chase.
He had some useful staying hurdle form before lining up at Cheltenham in mid-November, when he jumped well in the main but lacked that extra bit of class to get on terms with The Big Breakaway, who won by 10 lengths.
Doc Penfro lost a shoe that day, which probably did not help his cause, and his rider was certainly not all out when his chance had gone.
Stoney Mountain is another fair hurdler making the switch back to fences in Ludlow’s Lady Buttons Memorial Beginners’ Chase.
He was snapped up for £140,000 in September, having previously raced in the colours of Trevor Hemmings when winning a Haydock Grade Three over hurdles last winter.
His previous attempt over fences ended with him unseating his rider at Cheltenham last December, before his trainer Henry Daly reverted to hurdles.
Now with Jamie Snowden, Stoney Mountain is worth another shot over the bigger obstacles.
Sinjaari highlights a classy all-weather card at Kempton as he tackles the Unibet Wild Flower Stakes.
William Haggas’ runner lifted the John Smith’s Cup at York back in June. But soft ground scuppered a couple of runs later in the campaign, while the Cambridgeshire proved too tough an ask off his mark of 103.
He is actually up to 106 now, though, having chased home Dubai Warrior in a similar Listed heat to this on his most recent outing at Lingfield – a run which also represented his all-weather debut.
Make It Rain can maintain her unbeaten record on artificial surfaces in the Betway Handicap at Lingfield.
The three-year-old is three from three at Lingfield, Wolverhampton and Kempton – with her latest victory coming at the Surrey venue at the start of November.
She overcame a wide draw to prevail on that occasion, seemingly winning with plenty in hand – hopefully enough to deal with her 6lb higher mark this time around.
