Today's tips: Racing preview and best bets
Our star daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey had a 10/1 winner on Monday - don't miss their advice for Tuesday's action.
Racing betting tips: Tuesday April 23
1pt win Mermaids Cave in the 3.30 Southwell at 5/1 (General, take no lower)
0.5pts e.w Captains Pick in the 5.15 Southwell at 14/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4 Sky Bet, take no lower)
0.5pts e.w Annexation in the 6.15 Gowran Park at 20/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 General, min 16/1)
2:18 Southwell
It’ll be interesting to see what the ground rides like at Southwell - the Monday going report reads “watering in progress” but it’s due to rain lightly pretty much all day around these parts and as I type, it’s coming down pretty steadily. They say only 3.3mm of rain, it felt like more…
The one that catches the eye a bit here is Pollyonesock, who hasn’t been with the Greenall/Guerriero axis for too long but they’ve wasted little time in getting her over a fence, with just the one go over hurdles at Ludlow in February. There have been definite signs of ability from her in her novice hurdle efforts, and this would look a more than workable mark if she can jump cleanly on her chasing debut. The trip is a slight question mark, but only a slight one, and it isn’t enough to put me off her.
3:30 Southwell
Captain Wallace was an easy winner at Exeter last week, the good ground given as the reason for the improvement, but if that ground is riding slightly slower than I think it might, plus a quick turnaround, means there are reason for him blowing out here, and this is a race I want to play.
Tigger is of some interest on his handicap debut today, particularly with Warren Greatrex in good form, and he looks the danger to MERMAIDS CAVE, who looks the bet on the first-time-for-James-Owen angle that continues to throw up plenty of winners.
The current total stands at 12 winners from 40 runners, with four of them in the past couple of months alone. He clearly has a knack for rejuvenating them and Mermaids Cave won’t need that much pepping up, having finished third in a seller at Exeter for Matt Sheppard last time out. The rain that came yesterday will have been welcome, and the booking of Harry Cobden is merely the icing on a large and lovely cake, which sadly I’m not allowed as I’m dieting.
5:15 Southwell
A couple of the shorter-priced ones here are easy to oppose, with the oft-reluctant Klitschko on the verge of a squiggle and Intimate coming from the Venetia Williams stable whose horses are running like sick ones at present. As a result, this looks a race worth playing.
Down the foot of the handicap, there looks to be some sort of plan afoot with CAPTAIN'S PICK, making his handicap debut today. He had just the one run over hurdles last year, showing little when pulled up at Exeter but there was much more to be taken from his fourth at Plumpton at the start of this month, held up off the pace and making good late progress when it was all over. He was reported to have made a noise when well held at Taunton last time out but regardless, the two miles there wasn’t enough of a test for him, and he’s back up half a mile in trip today.
Christian Williams isn’t in quite such good form as he was 12 months ago but Lord Snootie and Kitty’s Light ran very well at Aintree and Ballyrashane went close at Stratford on Sunday, so the horses are running well enough to give punters a bit of confidence.
6:15 Gowran - Save 33% Buying Tickets Online Handicap 1m1f110y
Likeliest winner on paper here is Mick Mulvany’s Duke of Leggagh who was high in the weights after a wide-margin win in heavy ground just over a year ago, but showed definite signs of a revival when third in the mud at Leopardstown last time. This is a weaker race and I’m certainly not against him, but he’s already well found in the betting, with 7/2 offering little leeway for punters.
Duke of Leggagh is one of several with a bit of back-class in the field, and I like the chance of another in that category. ANNEXATION was well held on his last flat outing, but that was nothing more than a confidence booster after an abortive spell over fences, and that spin at Dundalk last November is best ignored. The son of Wootton Bassett isn’t bred for fences and had shaped well on his most recent run over hurdles at Downpatrick in August.
Annexation has become well treated on the level and his form in this sphere is in better class than this as a rule. His last run in a turf handicap saw him run creditably from an IHRB mark of 83, but he’s quickly down to a potentially lenient 66 after three well-spaced runs on Dundalk’s polytrack. A winner at this track after an absence on his debut for Henry de Bromhead, he has run some of his best races fresh, with a record when rested for ten weeks or more reading 1F135. He tends to be kept away from very deep ground over hurdles due to stamina limitations, but he handles soft ground well on the flat and looks too big in the early market at around 20/1.
Posted at 0930 BST on 23/04/24
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