Paul Ferguson has two selections for us on Saturday including Shariyan in the Ayr 4.00. Compare odds and bet.
The EBF Final is always one of my favourite races of the season and this year’s renewal looks well above average with several exciting long-term prospects on show.
It’s not hard to make a case for plenty of the 18 strong field but, at the prices on Saturday morning (he was available at 20/1 with bet365), a chance is taken on Le Reve (2:05) each-way.
Lucy Wadham’s five-year-old hadn’t set foot on a racecourse before last November and he has made rapid progress since. Allowed to take his chance in the Tolworth Hurdle on his penultimate start, the son of Milan stayed on in taking fashion to score at Market Rasen last time to beat Up To Something, who re-opposes today.
The selection needs to step forward again, but he looks on an upward curve and could be ahead of the handicapper on an opening mark of 127. He receives weight from most of those above him in the market and can outrun his large overnight odds.
Looking through the race for dangers there appear plenty out there, including Edmund Kean and Whisper who carry the Walters Plant Hire silks, carried to success by yesterday’s selection Top Of The Range.
Those two have plenty of form in deep ground should the conditions deteriorate, while top-weight Many Clouds looks a cracking chase prospect for the future. The form of his recent Exeter win was boosted by the third and Ambion Wood carried top-weight to success in this contest last year. He looks sure to go well, too.
Up at Ayr, County Wexford trainer Colm Murphy sends just one horse over from Ireland, presumably in the hope of picking up a penalty to have a chance of getting in to either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe, and Shariyan (4:00) is taken to complete the hat-trick under Robbie Power.
The seven-year-old has won big field handicaps at Leopardstown over Christmas and also on Irish Champion Hurdle day, where he stayed on strongly to score a shade cosily. The form of that race isn’t great (runner-up a maiden), but he looks a horse on the up and one to keep on the right side of. The day’s second selection was trading at 13/8 with both bet365 and BetVictor early on Saturday morning.
Saturday’s selections:
2:05 Sandown Le Reve (each-way 20/1, bet365)
4:00 Ayr Shariyan (13/8, BetVictor)
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Last Year’s Book Results – Leading Prospects:
- SPRINTER SACRE – Unbeaten – winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- SIMONSIG – Winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- CINDERS AND ASHES – 10/1 winner of Supreme Novices Hurdle
- BOBS WORTH – 9/2 winner of the RSA Chase
- MENORAH & SILVINIACO CONTI – Both Aintree Winners
- SIR DES CHAMPS – Unbeaten inc 3/1 Jewson Cheltenham Winner
- FINGAL BAY – Won 4 times inc Challow Hurdle
- RAYA STAR – 10/3 winner at Wetherby, 12/1 Ladbroke Hurdle winner, 15/2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner
- AMBION WOOD – 14/1 EBF Final Sandown winner
- CHAMPION COURT – 6/1 G2 Dipper Novices Chase winner
- PALACE JESTER – 14/1 winner at FFos Las
- SWINCOMBE FLAME – Hat-trick winner inc Lanzarote Hurdle at 9/2
- TEAFOR THREE – 5/1 NH Cheltenham Chase winner (Manifesto Novices’ Chase)
