Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
2.42 Listowel – Polar Bear & Coumshingaun
3.25 Nottingham – Mereside Angel
4.40 Hamilton – Geremia
5.10 Hamilton – Kings Lynn
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
2.42 Listowel – Polar Bear & Coumshingaun
Of the four races I have picked for the ‘Value Plays’ this week, I thought that this offered the best chance of a really big outsider flying through the flames and landing a big cash booty for us. Mercurial galloped through the hock deep ground at the Curragh last time out and being at the top of his form is respected, but the drying ground is not perfect for this son of Prince of Lir.
Coumshingaun is a massive player following his eye catching run at Naas behind Dance Night last time out and I may well have a saver on this mare and she will be my reserve choice behind the Jessica Harrington charge Polar Bear. He ran in some pretty fair maidens as a juvenile, but it took until his ninth start in a busy first season to get off the mark. Another heavy campaign followed last year with a win off 82 and a place off 85.
This term he has finished behind the aforementioned Mercurial, but this is more his ground type and the intermediate trip of six and a half furlong also looks perfect after just backing out in the final 150 yards when a very fair fourth of 15 behind Brains at Roscommon.
3.25 Nottingham – Mereside Angel
A low grade 5f burn up that has so many players on not so recent form that it took me a while to sort the wheat from the chaff. At first glance, I really liked the claims of big outsider Chief of Navy following a long spell out in Dubai where he ran in some cracking races. However, following his comeback run here at Chelmsford I just felt that he probably needed at least one more run to acclimatise back on these shores. However, watch for any significant market moves during the day and before the race as the stable have made a cracking start to the season.
J R Cavagin and High Opinion were also on my short list for very different reasons, but the best alternative with the drying ground hugely in his favour has to be the Barron clan’s runner Mereside Angel. All of the grey gelding’s best runs have come when he has had a really strong pace to run at and that set-up simply didn’t exist on his first two runs this season at Ripon and then in a smaller field on fast ground at Carlisle. Yes, he acts on all ground, but a nicer surface suits better for him than the one encountered at the Cumbrian track. There is every chance that Ben Sanderson can file him away in midfield and then mow down this field off a career low mark of just 62.
4.40 Hamilton – Geremia
This looks to be a middle distance handicap that has plenty of strength in depth at this level and a bucket load of pace up top as well. Four of the 13 runners take each other on again following Geremia’s late rally to beat Capital Rally (2nd), Masai Mara (4th) and Faylaq (5th) and I can see a similar outcome here with the first named along with Too Friendly, Simple Star and Hope You Can Run all likely to be at the sharp end from flag fall.
Of those entries, the last named is the most interesting as he has always promised to be suited by this step back up in trip and if just staying off the hot pace racing as a presser he could readily get first run on the selection. However, the admirably versatile pick still remains on a winning mark following that success off 80 (just 4lbs higher here). I admit it is kind of a boring selection to many tipping a last time out winner, but this admirable six-year-old has most everything in his favour and can enhance his already superb 5101 record.
5.10 Hamilton – Kings Lynn
Bergerac is hard to resist here, but is a sprinter you could go over a cliff with and still not see any returns until way deeper into the season. Back to back wins at Southwell and Newcastle last year off 85 and 90 makes him a possible player here off 91, but this looks a really good class two event and there are other places to look for the value each-way play.
Aberama Gold has also reached a workable mark, while American Affair continues to rise up the class ladder following a clear cut success off 70 in a class four event. A 10lbs hike in the weights obviously makes it more difficult for this progressive four-year-old having only his 12th career start but he travelled so smoothly through his last race that it is not out of the question.
But in the end I decided to side with Andrew Balding’s charge Kings Lynn. His last two runs at Goodwood and Newcastle suggest that a drop from 107 to 94 over the past year means it is finally the time to twist rather than stick with him. You could argue that a flat 6f works best for this classy seven-year-old, but the Glasgow track with its final climb more than makes up for that set-up. I fancy the son of Cable Bay to finally land his fifth career win and his first since way back on May 2022.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
2.42 Listowel – Polar Bear & Coumshingaun
3.25 Nottingham – Mereside Angel
4.40 Hamilton – Geremia
5.10 Hamilton – Kings Lynn
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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