Tuesday 2 March
IRELAND'S EYE
There is an inspections planned later for Leicester but hopes are relatively high of racing going ahead while there are no such doubts at Catterick over jumps. Meanwhile Lingfield hold the sole all weather card today. We will be taking on a short priced ex Irish favourite in a Catterick novice hurdle today with a former bumper scorer while Dave Mansell can visit the winners enclosure following the hunter chase at Leicester.
Action Impact (10/11-4/5) kept up our decent winning run of naps going yesterday at Plumpton while we also made it a double when former pointer Portrait Royale (9/4-2/1) ran out a somewhat fortunate victor in a handicap chase at Hereford. Saver El Distintivo (7-13/2) also finished in the frame and Edgevine (10/1) was another to finish in the money in our back up service.
Blazing Bailey was near top class in the staying division over hurdles but the seven time hurdle winner has not been totally convincing since going over fences and though the 8yo is presented with his best chance for success in the 2m 7 1/2f novice at Leicester at 3-20 we will be taking on the Alan King trained gelding. Admittedly the son of Mister Baileys went close at Ffos Las on his chase debut before finishing a modest third to the decent Burton Port at Southwell and he gets 6lbs from the two previous winners in the race which may swing the race in favour of the ‘Choc’ Thornton ridden gelding and he is taken to beat the former point winner Bench Warrant. The Charlie Mann trained 7yo won well on his debut at Market Rasen and he was far from disgraced in finishing a fair third (last of 3) to Burton Port (rec 3lbs) in a Grade 2 chase at Lingfield last time.
125 rated hurdler Good Old Thyme invariably runs his race but the former Jessica Harrington trained 6yo cannot be described as a prolific winner having landed his sole win on debut for present yard at Leicester in a 2m 5f novice hurdle. Though the 6yo will start a short priced favourite under useful 7lb claimer Giles Hawkins in the 2m 3f novice hurdle at Catterick today and is the clear pick on official ratings there could be more value in siding with a former bumper winner in Hard Act despite the fact that the Sue Smith trained 7yo showed little on his hurdling bow over two months ago. A good winner of a Bangor soft ground bumper on his first start since showings some promise for Willie Mullins two years previously he subsequently ran well in taking a reasonable fourth to the highly promising Peddlers Cross (rec 4lbs) in a Haydock bumper on only subsequent bumper start. The Rose Dobbin trained Caerlaverock looks interesting on his hurdle debut as the former flat winner opened with a victory in a Wetherby bumper less than a year ago and the Graham Lee ridden gelding could go close if handling this softer ground. The Howard Johnson trained County Colours if forgiven a below par effort last time is another to consider on his second start over flights.
The lightly raced We’re Confused has managed to finish in the frame in two of his three starts in hunter chases to date and the 9yo can finally get his turn in the 2m 7 1/2f hunter chase at Leicester at 4-20 today under regular pointer Dave Mansell. Previously in the care of Michael Hourigan the grey has rattled up four wins ‘between the flags’ and he ran well in taking third in the corresponding contest last year behind Oopsmylord with recent hunter chase winner Gentle George ahead in second. Though he could only manage a fair third in a Market Rasen 3m 1f hunter chase when fancied in the market three weeks ago he can put his experience to good use here against a couple of promising pointers in the six time point winner My Old Piano and William Somers.
James Moffatts Devils Delight looks the solution to the 2m mares novice hc hurdle at Catterick at 4-30 under Graham Lee. A winner of a similar event at Sedgefield on testing ground on her penultimate start off a 5lb lighter mark under her 7lb claimer she appeared to have been ridden to close to a fast pace when only finishing third at Newcastle last time and with more restraining tactics looking likely to be employed today she can register her second career win at the expense of top weight Prioryjo who finished some 2 lengths ahead of her last time.
2-30 CATTERICK – 3m 1 1/2f hc hurdle
In what looks a competitive affair the vote goes to the James Halliday ridden bottom weight Dauntsey Bay who has been showing signs that a first victory is not far off in his latest runs and he can beat the Crook runner Cute N You Know It.
3-20 LEICESTER – 2m 7 1/2f hc chase
Warren Marston and Michael Keighley may provide the answer to this handicap with the maiden BRIMHAM BOY who is 0 from 10 over fences to date but the 8yo has been running consistently well of late and though he can hardly be described as well handicapped he could open his account here at the expense of the former point winner Just Playfull (first time blinkers) and favourite Ray Mond.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win HARD ACT 3-30 Catterick
BET 3pt win CAERLAVEROCK 3-30 Catterick
BET lay GOOD OLD THYME to lose 5pts 3-30 Catterick
BET 4pt win BLAZING BAILEY 3-50 Leicester
BET 5pt win (nap) WE’RE CONFUSED 4-20 Leicester
BET 2pt win (savers) WILLIAM SOMERS and MY OLD PIANO 4-20 Leicester
BET 4pt win DEVIL’S DELIGHT 4-30 Leicester
BET 2pt win (saver) PRIORYJO 4-30 Leicester
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