Talking Horses: Latest news and best bets in our daily racing blog
Caution re Harry Topper
Chris Cook: Anyone thinking of backing Harry Topper for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival should take a deep breath and hold off for now, or at least find a way to do it ‘non-runner, no bet’. The horse is 7-1 second-favourite for the four-mile National Hunt Chase but his trainer, Kim Bailey, is not committed to taking him to the Festival at all.
Harry Topper holds an entry for Saturday at Kelso, where the going is currently soft, heavy in places. “He will go there if the ground remains testing,” Bailey is quoted as saying in today’s Times, “and, if he does run, he certainly won’t be going to Cheltenham. This horse is worth looking after.”
Today’s best bets, by Greg Wood
There is plenty of competitive racing over the jumps at Catterick and Leicester this afternoon, but the all-weather Flat meeting at Lingfield offers the best betting opportunity in the form of Strategic Action (nap 3.10).
The form of his win last time out gives him every chance off just 2lb higher today, but Strategic Action’s previous run, when fourth at today’s track, was a better performance on the clock and increases confidence that today’s task is perfectly manageable. Current odds of 3-1 look very fair.
Broxbourne (5.10) has won his last three starts and even a 7lb rise for his latest success is unlikely to stop him against a small field today, while Stormy Morning (2.20) should take the opener at Catterick. At Leicester, Gers Benefit (2.30) looks to have a fair chance in the handicap chase at the top of the card and can be backed at 6-1, while Franklin Roosevelt (3.00) should take the next.
Tipping competition, day two
69 of you entered yesterday and an impressive 63 found no winners at all. The early lead is with GForce1, the only one to find Chosen Forever (14-1), followed by the three who had Royal Kicks (8-1) and the two (2) who had Midnight Lira, a 4-1 favourite.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.10 Lingfield, 4.20 Catterick, 5.00 Leicester.
This week’s prize is a copy of the Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide, newly published by Weatherbys, in which Paul Jones offers you his encyclopaedic knowledge of what works at the Festival and what doesn’t, as well as sharing his enthusiasm for the game and his deep thirst for winners. 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 four 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!
Standings after day one
GForce1 +12
john987 +6
tanias +6
diegoisgod +6
Beeftodd +2
Grumster +2
TwoChainz -3
CharlesBukowski -3
factormax -3
waltersobchak -3
joehow -3
TheVic -3
WalthamstowLad -3
Lameduck -3
melonk -3
kentaylor58 -3
paudi051 -3
Flossnme -3
NYStadium -3
pd13 -3
slackdad38 -3
paragoncup -3
sandiuk -3
Copshaw -3
goofs -3
Thewrongtree -3
SmokingGun1 -3
twig28 -3
Yossarian24 -3
mmmdanish -3
William36 -3
curlycov -3
ToffeeDan1 -3
paddytheirishman1 -3
TL127 -3
JahLion -3
Ormrod76 -3
GeorgeWTaylor -3
Sportingbest -3
glavintoby -3
Toptrapper -3
chrisjh007 -3
Mulldog -3
BarronVonRJ -3
lcprestes -3
moidadem -3
23skidoo -3
Blitzwing -3
no1octoberfest -3
elbonjourno -3
wiggy12 -3
Lindsey6677 -3
JudoMadVicar -3
BearRides -3
chris1623 -3
Shrewdette -3
orso -3
Harrytheactor -3
ps4999 -3
chiefhk -3
palace55 -3
Rustyltfc -3
72luca -3
coma88 -3
Ellandback -3
millreef -3
hegman -3
TL127 -3
captainconan -3
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