Thursday Selections – December 29th 2022

Hi all,

More Grade 1 action to be found at Leopardstown for the final day of its Christmas meeting.  And for those of you fortunate to be off today ITV4 will be covering four races from Leopardstown and two from Doncaster.  Whilst the best quality action is at Leopardstown the most interesting race from a betting perspective is at Doncaster. There’s also a decent card at Kelso with several competitive handicaps for punters to get stuck into.

Inside today’s main piece I will be looking at the best of the action from both Leopardstown and Doncaster on ITV. With today’s betting advice at the end of the main piece.

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Victor’s Wednesday Preview – December 28th 2022

Hi all,

The ITV cameras are covering the best of the action from Leopardstown. Plus, two races from Leicester as part of a six race programme this afternoon.

Inside today’s main piece I look at the best of the action on ITV4 this afternoon. Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Continue reading “Victor’s Wednesday Preview – December 28th 2022”

Victor’s Tuesday Preview – December 27th 2022

Hi all,

The Christmas bonanza of quality jump racing continues today. I’m writing this before racing on Boxing Day so I don’t know how that day’s sport went but hopefully it will have been a profitable one.

Inside today’s main piece I look at the best of the action from Chepstow where it’s Welsh Grand National Day and Kempton. I also look at the big handicap chase at Leopardstown and the Castleford Handicap Chase at Wetherby.  Ass ever today’s betting advice can be found at the preview.

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Victor’s Boxing Day Preview – December 26th 2022

Hi all,

The feast on our dinner tables may be over. But the feast of top class Christmas racing is about to begin.

The focus of today’s column isn’t on Wetherby though but Kempton where it’s King George VI Chase Day.

The King George VI Chase is the highlight of the festive racing. And after the Cheltenham Gold Cup the most prestigious race in the National Hunt calendar.  I preview the King George VI Chase inside today’s main piece. Plus, you’ll find my thoughts on the rest of the Kempton card, the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby and Market Rasen’s big race the Lincolnshire National. Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of today’s preview.

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Victor’s Thursday Selections – December 22nd 2022

Hi all,

The final day’s racing before the big Boxing Day extravaganza. It’s not a bad day’s sport in truth and given we don’t have any racing for three days I have had a good look at Thursday’s action.  Yes, I’ve got involved in several races that I wouldn’t normally consider but its been a slow month and as the old saying goes ‘nothing ventured nothing gained’.

The final day of racing before Christmas sees jump fixtures at Ayr and Ffos Las. There’re also two all-weather meetings. Lingfield hosts a seven race card this afternoon and Southwell concludes the day’s action under the floodlights this evening.

Lingfield have managed to reschedule the Winter Oaks Trial (2:20) which was lost to the weather on Saturday. Ironically the race has three more runners than were due to start at the weekend.

Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

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Victor’s Wednesday Selections – December 21st 2022

Hi all,

It was good to get a winner courtesy of Bobhopeornohope at Ludlow. Mind you it could have been oh so much better if the line hadn’t have come to quick for Bun Doran who failed by a nose to catch Desque De L’Isle.

I’m going in again today with a selections from Hereford & Lingfield.

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Victor’s Ludlow Selections – December 20th 2022

Hi all,

The recent dearth of jump racing due to the freezing weather should lead to better field sizes and Tuesday’s Ludlow card has attracted 89 runners for its seven race card.  And it’s the two competitive handicap chases at the Shropshire track that come under the microscope.

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Victor’s Punchestown Selections – Monday December 19th 2022

Hi all,

The thaw has arrived and Punchestown stages its rescheduled John Durkan card with the highlight the reappearance of Galopin Des Champ on the Grade 2 John Durkan Chase (2:10).

Galopin Des Champ seems likely to make a winning return. However, he does face six rivals who include Grade 1 winner Fakir D’oudairies who is also making his seasonal reappearance and the useful Fury Road who does have race fitness on his side.

Besides Galopin Des Champ. Trainer Willie Mullins will run exciting novice chase prospect Appreciate It in the 2m beginners’ chase (2:40).

Inside today’s main preview I have looked at the best of the betting action on the card.

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Victor’s Saturday Selections – December 17th 2022

Hi all,

There is a big upside to the lack of jumps racing. The next few weeks should at least see some competitive field sizes. Add in a potentially wet week with a month of rainfall falling in a couple of days and we could be looking at genuinely winter jumps ground come Boxing Day. Now that would be perfect or will the concern then switch from freezing tracks to waterlogged ones.

Lingfield and Chelmsford ride to the rescue of ITV4’s Saturday afternoon racing coverage. Sadly, the two highlights of the Lingfield card the talkSPORT Winter Oaks Trial Irish EBF Fillies’ Handicap (3:00) and the Listed BetUK Quebec Stakes (3:33) have attracted just six runners each.

It’s become a pain in the backside to spend so much time analyzing the form only to have the racing cancelled. Fingers crossed the weather won’t be a problem today, but you never know as we have seen in the last seven days.

I find in the run-up to Christmas that the form book can be thrown out of the window. When you’re looking at primarily Class 5 & 6 handicaps on the all-weather and given the shocking levels of prize money then these races are ripe for manipulation. The secret is to know which trainers are in the business of landing those Christmas bonuses.

ITV4 are covering five races from Lingfield. Three of them are Class 5 or Class 6 handicaps as are all three of the Chelmsford races. It’s bargain basement action and in truth if this was a normal Saturday, I wouldn’t even have looked at these races. However, It’s not a normal Saturday and I have picked my way through five of the eight races on ITV4. 

Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

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Victor’s Saturday Preview – December 10th 2022

Hi all,

The ITV4 cameras will, weather permitting, be covering four races from Cheltenham and three from Doncaster this afternoon.  In today’s preview I have looked at the best of the action from Cheltenham and Doncaster. My Saturday selections and betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

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