10.45am Stamina key to Ballynagour Hennessy chances

Tony Paley: Trainer David Pipe is expecting Ballynagour to run well in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday - as long as his stamina holds out.

The eight-year-old won the Byrne Group Plate at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and was last seen finishing second to Sizing Europe at Punchestown a month later.

Ballynagour has, however, never run over Saturday’s three-and-a-quarter-mile trip. The Nicholashayne handler told http://www.davidpipe.com/: “Ballynagour will be carrying the hopes of Pond House. He seems very well at home and Tom Scudamore was in schooling him the other day. Fingers crossed our Festival winner, if getting the trip, should run well.”

Tuesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood

It will be tough going at the two jumps meetings this afternoon, with heavy ground at Lingfield - and more rain on the way - and something similar up at Sedgefield, where the official description is soft, heavy in places and the GoingStick reading is just a few tenths of a point bigger.

Experience could count for quite a lot at both tracks, and Runswick Days (1.50), a course-and-distance winner a couple of weeks ago, could make it count at Sedgefield. There are a couple of interesting but less experienced chasers lining up against him, including Silver Vogue, who has been fast-tracked to fences by Sue Smith, but Runswick Days is just a couple of pounds higher in the ratings and could be a difficult opponent to pass on this ground.

Southway Star (2.00) has recorded three wins in small fields already this months and even under a double penalty, looks likely to make it four at Lingfield. The best bet of the day, meanwhile, could be Reach The Beach (3.10) on the Fibresand at Southwell. It may need the cheekpieces to galvanise her again as they did 12 days ago when she put up a career-best performance in a good time to win over course and distance, but if so, she has every chance of following up off a 6lb higher mark.

Wu Zetian (1.10) is a shade of odds-against in that may amount to a match with Whispering Star and should emerge in front, while Captain Sharpe (2.20) at Sedgefield is one of the few in his race at Sedgefield with some worthwhile recent form and worth a second look at around 5-1 for that alone.

Tipping competition, day two

Our winners so far:

Monday

Tenor Nivernais 5-1

Gand Gigolo 12-1

Theinval 4-1

And our leaders are:

GForce1 +16

goofs +16

... who started the week by finding the first two winners. Kingklynch, who won last week, was among those who had Grand Gigolo and is therefore close up on +10.

Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.20 Sedgefield, 3.00 Lingfield, 3.40 Southwell.

This week’s prize is a copy of the Racing Post Annual 2015, now in its fourth year and running to 208 colour pages packed with stories from this racing year and some of terrific photos of the greatest moments. Interviewees include Willie Mullins and Tony McCoy. If you don’t win, you can buy it here.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -3.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

For terms and conditions click here.

Good luck!

Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.

And post your tips or racing-related comments below.