Paul Ferguson has two selections for us on Saturday; Tea For Two in the Sandown 14:25 and Bellshill 13:55 at Leopardstown. Compare odds and bet.
High class novice chases are the order of the day on Saturday in England, with Sandown staging the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, in which Tea For Two (2:25) can make it three from three over fences.
At his best going right-handed, the seven-year-old has jumped beautifully to score at Exeter and when landing the Feltham at Kempton and I don’t think the drop in trip is an issue; in fact, this could prove his optimum distance in time.
Trading odds-on all week, the selection was available at 5-4 on Friday afternoon and would appear to have Bristol De Mai to beat. As for the remainder, I still believe we have yet to see the best of Maximiser who is capable of outrunning his odds under Richard Johnson.
Up at Wetherby, the Grade 2 Towton Novices’ Chase looks very competitive and the outcome could well have an impact on the ante-post market for both the RSA and National Hunt Chase.
The market is headed by Blaklion and Native River, both of whom will be bidding to enhance their respective festival claims here, but face no easy task in conceding 7lbs to Definitly Red. Add in the mix, the classy mare Bitofapuzzle, who could easily play a hand if none the worse for her unseat in Ireland, and this looks a potentially informative contest.
Over in Ireland the Flogas Novice Chase is just one of four Grade 1s on Leopardstown’s card where Bellshill (1:55) can make it four from four over hurdles in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle.
A Grade 1 bumper winner, the son of King’s Theatre has already repeated the dose in novice hurdle company, when scoring easily at Naas last month, and the six-year-old is fancied to fend off Tombstone, who sports the hood for the first time today.
The selection opened up 6-4 with Bet365 and I had expected him to be much closer to the Evs mark.
In the aforementioned Flogas Novice Chase, the one I am most looking forward to seeing is Zabana, while Ivanovich Gorbatov and Road To Riches both deserve to be odds-on for their respective Grade 1 assignements.
Saturday’s selections:
1:55 Leopardstown Bellshill 5/4 Skybet
2:25 Sandown Tea For Two 6/4 Bet365
Compare all today’s horse racing odds and bet at the best prices
Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow 2015-16
Pre order now, published early September in good time for the new season: Just £9:95 inc p&p
* order online www.cc-publishing.co.uk
* or, send a cheque payable to ‘The Racing Insider’ to PO Box 98, Liverpool L9 1WY (with address details)
Fellow Betrescue columnist and Bet Victor’s Charlie McCann says: “It really is a privilege to write the foreword for such an informative and well-researched publication, which continues to go from strength to strength.”
- Don Poli
- Faugheen
- Vautour
