Wednesday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
This afternoon’s jumps fixture at Hexham has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track. The track was found to have been fit for purpose on Tuesday morning, but further showers saw the situation deteriorate before a proposed 8am inspection on Wednesday morning. Hexham’s plight was worsened by a forecast of up to 10 millimetres of rainfall throughout the day.
The going at Chepstow is going to be very testing given the amount of rain that has fallen there. At Ffos Las down the road the track gets as testing as anywhere in these isles and Nansaroy (12.50), a bumper winner there, should prove hard to beat if showing a modicum of ability over hurdles. The selection’s National Hunt Flat race form is solid and the form of the novices that have already run over timber is hardly inspring.
Given how testing conditions are at our racecourses a chance is taken with Mini Muck (12.40) at Warwick who is available at 22-1. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s runners often come into their own when the going gets tough and this mare is bred to relish these conditions, as she did when winning a hurdle race at the track off today’s mark in 2013. She clearly hasn’t taken to chasing and could spring a surprise if she enjoys herself back over hurdles.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Ashcott Boy 11-2
Sir Valentino 4-1
Maria’s Choice 9-2
Tuesday
Nebula Storm 15-2
Marky Bob 9-2
Pithivier 11-4
And our leader is …
moidadem +14.75
… who, having made a perfect start on Monday, was one of only two folk to find Pithivier. Kmill68 (+7.40) leads the chasing pack.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.30 Chepstow, 3.20 Warwick, 7.25 Kempton.
This week’s prize is a copy of At The Festival (Racing To Glory At Cheltenham in March) by the Racing Post’s excellent Spotlight writer Richard Austen. A history of some of the great Festival moments from 1981 to 1991, this new book has drawn the following praise from Racing UK’s Lydia Hislop, who has written for this parish in the past: “He writes with rare skill, combining poetry and precision. This book has the power to delight racing fans and inform others of the richness of experience they are missing.” If you don’t win, you can buy a copy 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 -6.
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.
Good luck!
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And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
