Hi all,
The service managed to end up with a small profit over the weekend with Bythesametoken (BOG 25/1) finishing an agonisingly close second at Naas yesterday.
I’m not anticipating many selections this week although I do have some for today. Over the next few days I will be looking ahead to the Cheltenham Festival. So, watch your inboxes for those and any selections.
Before all that. Here are today’s selections from Punchestown and Ayr.
Punchestown
4:00 – Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) – 3m
There’s two I like here.
Milliner, a maiden hurdle winner here back in October 2018 shaped with some promise when 5th of 20 at Navan (2m 4f) 31-days ago. That was the 8-year-old’s first start for 762-days so he’s entitled to come on for that run. Doing his best work at the finish that day there’s every chance that he will stay 3m and is high on the shortlist.
Dalton Highway, a useful staying handicapper on the flat, is relatively unexposed over hurdles, just the six starts and won a Leopardstown handicap hurdle (2m 4 ½ f) off 9lb lower in December 2019. Not at that level of form here 60-days ago and not sure to say 3m on heavy but looks capable of a good run for a top yard.
1pt win – Milliner – 7/2 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Dalton Highway – 8/1 @ Bet365
5:00 – Four Horsemen left his previous from well behind when 3rd of 15 at Thurles on his handicap hurdle debut two weeks ago. The 7-year-old is relatively lightly raced over hurdles, just the five starts. Whilst the drop back to 2m 4f may not be a positive, was staying on over 2m 7f last time, he can win of his present mark if building on his last race promise.
Ayr
3:05 – Reivers Lad a recent eyecatcher in my Daily Punt column. A winner on his chase debut at Newcastle in December 2018. The 10-year-old clearly hasn’t been the easiest to keep sound, as that Newcastle win came off 614-day layoff and he was returning from 772-day break, in the process of running a good race when falling whilst in the lead five out at Haydock 37-days ago. This was the veterans first start in handicap chase company and if none the worse for this mishap figures on a good mark. Not an exciting price though.
1pt win – Reivers Lad – 15/8 @ Bet365
3:40 – Billy Ray – A decent enough staying flat handicapper when with Mick Channon. Yet to win on his six start over hurdles but was backed like he was a winnable mark when returning from wind surgery and a 103-day break when 2nd of 18 at Wetherby 12-days ago. First time cheekpieces are applied today and provided he didn’t have to hard a race last time, can go close here.
1pt win – Billy Ray – 100/30 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
Cheers
John