Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
14:30 Stratford – Aviewtosea
14:45 Perth – Garde Des Champs
15:45 Perth – Barbados Bucks
17:00 Stratford – Fixed Wing
*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.
14:30 Stratford – Aviewtosea
It’s funny how with some race courses you have a good punting record and with others, for some reason, we tend to steer clear. It is of course irrational for us to think that way, but the Midlands track is still one of my favourites knowing the layout of the track. And like Chester on the flat, because of its sharpish nature, the jockeys seem to let out a bit more rein than normal resulting in going a wee bit too quickly in the early to middle part of races whatever the trip.
I have identified at least four entries for this two and three-quarter mile handicap hurdle that like to take the bull by the horns and this could turn into a thorough test at the trip. I was going to go for a huge outsider in Chabadatika who won over 2m5f on heavy ground in France, but since coming to Syd Hosie has been beaten an aggregate of 96 lengths in just three races in addition to being pulled up twice. But even a fall in his rating from 114 to 90 may not be enough to help him. So my preference is for AVIEWTOSEA.
He hasn’t run over the smaller obstacles for the best part of a year. He ran well over fences on his comeback this summer when a never nearer fourth but there wasn’t enough pace in the race at Bangor last time out when his chance was compromised by an indifferent round of jumping to boot. The return to the smaller obstacles off a rapid pace should suit him down to the ground in a race at this level which I feel will take little winning.
14:45 Perth – Garde Des Champs
You have to say the powers that be have simply got it wrong. They move Chester’s Saturday meeting back to 4.20, before the feature race of the day, the July Cup, and then give us just the two national hunt meetings today. Why not move Chester to today and make it a Premier Meeting? Anyway rant over, this second race on the card at the Borders’ track only has seven runners, so restricted to two places, but GARDE DES CHAMPS could be the play here dropping back to the minimum trip after not seeing out the extra half-mile here 10 days ago.
He travelled nicely in the rear that day, but when push came to shove after the third last he had nothing more to give, not helped by a mistake at the second last, he readily lost touch with Planned Paradise and The Gypsy Davey, eventually beaten over 17 lengths. Dropped fully 3lbs for that effort, the eight-year-old gets the call here over Tonto Foley and Malpas.
15:45 Perth – Barbados Bucks
A sound surface will always make Cap Du Nord a player around here and his recent third following a short spell on the sidelines was a good enough performance to suggest that he retains enough ability to go close in a race of this nature. He remains fairly treated off a mark of 122 if there is enough pace in the race to bring him steadily into the picture on the second circuit. Nowinittowinit is interesting at the foot of the weights having finished a never nearer fourth in the race we mentioned in selection number one which looked sharp enough for the son of Flemensfirth, having previously won here over hurdles over three miles off a rating of 97.
However, that looked like a moderate three-horse affair and I have more regard for BARBADOS BUCKS. Formerly with Paul Nicholls, the pick was rated as high as 143 at his peak, but never really fulfilled his full potential, with his chasing career ending after just two starts when pulled up behind no less a horse than Corach Rambler at Cheltenham! Some 12 runs later over timber and with just the one subsequent win to his name off a rating of 129 (four from 17 over hurdles) he takes his chance here off 121 for Daragh Burke and as long as Ryan Mania gets the fractions right there is no reason why the partnership shouldn’t make the first three at the very least.
17:00 Stratford – Fixed Wing
Despite being a maiden after 10 starts, the enigmatic top-weight, Borderline has been given a real chance by the handicapper off a mark of 92. However, he is not one to put much faith in as his last run demonstrates and there are less exposed individuals worth a second look further down the card. Three outings back at Huntingdon, Deadlock looked as though he could win a race of this nature, but followed that run up with a desperate performance at Ludlow over hurdles and then on the level at Wolverhampton.
So in the end I have plumped for a young horse with just seven career runs under his belt. FIXED WING‘s run at Warwick two outings back was a major pointer towards winning an event of this nature when he came from miles out the back in a race with no pace in kit to finish a never nearer fourth. He was ridden very differently in his one subsequent race at Market Rasen when his hurdling left plenty to be desired and I think he is possibly worth one more chance having been dropped four pounds to a lowly rating of 80. Hopefully, Kielan will ride him a bit further back this time around and get a better rhythm into his jumping.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
14:30 Stratford – Aviewtosea
14:45 Perth – Garde Des Champs
15:45 Perth – Barbados Bucks
17:00 Stratford – Fixed Wing
*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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