Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Sandown, Musselburgh and Newcastle on Saturday. View selections below.
SHOOT FIRST (3.07) can be quick on the draw for Charles Byrnes in the 2m 7f Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle at muddy Sandown.
The top weight was no match for Crambo and co in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December but ran well for a long way (made a crunching error two out).
Shoot First had earlier mastered a useful field of handicappers at Haydock and also won readily at Cheltenham back in October.
It will be no easy task conceding weight to Henri The Second, raised 8lb after spread-eagling the field on heavy ground over course and distance in early December.
Dartmoor Pirate, runner-up at Wincanton on Boxing Day, produced a solid fourth place over an inadequate trip here last March and has youth on his side.
There are a few useful former French juveniles lining up for the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle at Musselburgh, with MAITRE EN SCIENCE (1.42) getting the vote on his first start for Harry Derham.
My selection, a dual Gallic winner, may have the edge over Static, twice successful at Auteuil before joining Olly Murphy, and the Paul Nicholls-trained Nardaran, likely to strip sharper for his promising UK debut fourth at Kempton over the Christmas period.
The Derham yard is represented by BALHAMBAR (2.17) in the bet365 Scottish County Hurdle.
The gelding won twice in the summer, at Ludlow and Bangor, before finding one too strong at Southwell on New Year’s Day. Alfadil, last year’s winner of this event, was tailed off on the heavy ground that day but will finish closer to my selection now encountering a sounder surface.
Florida Dreams let down favourite backers with a tame performance at Aintree but is better judged on his previous consistent form.
Ravenscraig Castle keeps hitting the frame without winning and ran a cracker over course and distance last month when losing out to the Derham-trained Slugger after a ding-dong battle.
Several firms are offering four places each-way and that is also the case in the bet365 Scottish Champion Chase where SAINT LEGAL (2.50) bids to supplement December’s wide-margin Newbury success.
The assessor has raised him 8lb for that thumping victory but Saint Legal should remain competitive.
Several runners like to force the pace so there should be no lack of an early gallop. That could set up the race nicely for favourite The Kalooki Kid, with Nicky Richards’ recent Doncaster winner likely to be ridden with restraint.
The Derham team mount a three-pronged attack and Fidelio Vallis, now fitted with cheek-pieces, is closely matched with last year’s winner Corrigeen Rock.
Marble Sands mopped up a novices’ limited handicap chase here 12 months ago and races off a similar mark
On the all-weather at Newcastle, URBAN ROAD (4.17) has the services of Simon Walker and merits a wager in the opening BetUK amateur riders’ handicap.
The six-year-old, a four-time course winner, has been hitting the frame in slightly tougher contests at Gosforth Park this winter and had re-opposing Alpine Sierra more than two lengths adrift when chasing home Midnight Lion in early January. Alpine Sierra enjoys a slight pull in the weights and Jim Goldie’s grey rates a threat.
Blue Yonder lifted a similar contest at Newbury in the summer under Brodie Hampson and returned to form after a long spell in the doldrums when runner-up at Lingfield ten days ago. Royal Observatory was a winner on that same Lingfield card and is running consistently well for Kevin Frost.
Tally Ho
Alan
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NB. All odds shown are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
