We went mighty close yesterday afternoon, with five places and one finishing agonisingly close, but just failing – meaning we go again today! We head to Hexham for this afternoon’s placepot picks, as there is a fantastic card in store, with a nice mix of ‘good things’ and competitive races to ensure a decent challenge!
Should we try and get the short-prices beaten or throw them in as ‘bankers’? Well, take a look at today’s selections and see where we think the placepot value could be this afternoon.
Leg One: Cyrus Darius
It makes little sense to try and leave out the impressive Cyrus Darius in the opener, and although he is sure to be a popular selection, he should be able to oblige. After two solid efforts in bumpers, he seemed to take to hurdling extremely well, as he ran out a wide-margin winner on his last start at Newcastle.
He travelled kindly for this afternoon’s rider, and the manner in which he put the race to bed was extremely eye-catching. He has plenty more to come and it would a surprise if he didn’t manage to make the frame, should he complete.
Leg Two: Onenightinvienna
It is hard to ignore the claims of Onenightinvienna in leg two, and the fact that Phillip Hobbs is willing to send just one horse on the 700-mile round-trip suggests he too expects a bold showing. He has finished in the first three on all five starts under rules, and he was touched off by the narrowest of margins last time out at Chepstow.
The pair pulled well clear of the remainder that day, and if he can maintain his current form level, then he should be able to take advantage, with the 14lb he receives from Kingswell Theatre sure to play a major part. He should certainly be able to make his present felt in a race of the calibre.
Leg Three: West Ship Master
After being the only member of the three raiders from the stable not to win at this track last time out not to win, West Ship Master will be out to make amends this afternoon. He has been placed in four of his last five starts, with the only blip coming when he was pulled up when well-backed at Thurles on his penultimate start.
This looks to be the simplest assignment he has been set for a fair while, and with the eleven-year-old seemingly in good order, he should be able to land a real blow this afternoon. Jonathan Moore takes a handy seven-pound off his back, and this could make all the difference in leg three.
Leg Four: Golans Choice
There has been plenty of interesting early money around for Golans Choice, and it could be worth taking note – as the six-year-old looks to be fairly treated given the early form he shown. He was disappointing in his bumper debut but he put that behind him to make the places behind Knight’s Parade and then the highly-rated Kingswell Theatre, who runs earlier on the card.
He showed he still retained ability when a close fifth at Kelso on his last visit to the track, and Craig Nichol retains the ride, meaning his three-pound claim comes in handy. He looks open to further improvement and it would be no surprise to see him go close.
Leg Five: Brother Scott
Brother Scott’s solid run-of-form came to an end when he could only manage fifth behind It’s A Steal last time out, but he looks good value to get back into the frame again this afternoon. Callum Bewley gets on extremely well with the horse, so it is interesting to see he is back on-board, after Dougie Costello took the reins last time out.
Bewley’s five-pound claim is an added bonus and now that the eight0-year-old is set to be refreshed following a decent break. He looks the most solid option in the race, and hopefully he can show his consistency yet again by making a bold show and guiding us through to the finale.
Leg Six: Ten Trees
We’re left with a tricky bumper to round off this afternoon’s placepot, and Ten Trees looks the safest option to hopefully bring us home a share of the dividend. After going off well-backed for her maiden bumper, she could only manage fourth with the assistance of Tony McCoy in the saddle, but she showed an improved effort when a much closer third in a decent Mares’ bumper earlier this month.
She stayed on gamely after looking to be outpaced, and with plenty of runners sure to be in need of the run on their racecourse debuts – she should be able to make the frame at the very least.