Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
13:05 Fairyhouse – Stormy Judge
13:35 Fairyhouse – Bleu De Vassy (Each-Way)
13:55 Carlisle – Illico De Cotte
14:30 Carlisle – Jackpot d’Athou
*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.
13:05 Fairyhouse – Stormy Judge
If anyone would have told me at the back end of 2022 that Favori de Champdou would be racing off a chase handicap mark of 139 I would have laughed long and hard. Here was a staying novice hurdler at the time, that had rushed home in the Lyons of Limerick, and then despite being pulled up in the Albert Bartlett, he then ran away with the Florida Pearl the following year on his second chase start. And dare I say it, even thoughts of a Gold Cup were muttered. However, since then the wheels have fallen off with just the three runs in 2024. But then came a chink of light last time out, at his beloved Limerick, when the son of Saddler Maker landed a Grade Three over 3m on deep ground. Now a nine-year-old, but relatively lightly raced, Gordon Elliott’s charge is one of three entries from the yard, and racing under the 140 mark makes him of great interest, stepping back up in trip. The percentage call, tough as it is, is possibly to oppose him.
My Immortal was never going to be quick enough to win over 2 and 3/4 miles at Galway earlier this year, and I fancy this distance will bring about more improvement on only his sixth chase start, and he could be the biggest danger to Klarc Kent and STORMY JUDGE. The former was well backed to land the Colm Quinn at Punchestown in May, but struggled a long way out, and I cannot fathom why the handicapper hasn’t dropped him from a mark of 130. He still has potential, as does the tip. I have long thought of him as a real lung buster, something he’s shown in both the Thyestes of this year and the Grand National Trial at Punchestown, when his early jumping was sloppy before running on when the race was over. Two runs in staying handicap hurdles should have him at peak fitness and a good round of jumping should see the Co. Carlow entry outrun his price by some way.
13:35 Fairyhouse – Bleu De Vassy
I was going to bypass the graded races on Sunday, but as much as I like Romeo Coolio as a novice hurdler (already backed him at 20’s for the Supreme) I’m not of the opinion that he’s an odds-on shot for this Bar One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle. Yes, he hosed up first time out at Down Royal, but I’m not sure what that form is worth and he will obviously rate much higher as there are several promising hurdlers in this field, who should be closer to the market leader in the betting.
What is apparent about this Grade Two is there are several entries that like to race prominently, and that could well suit Sam Ewing’s BLEU DE VASSY. Although he too has raced at the sharp end, when winning his maiden here, and then the For Auction at Navan, he travels nicely on the bridle and settles well. Also a real mark of his runs over timber thus far have been an ability to get from one side of a hurdle to the other very efficiently, and with a number of these looking very novicey in their races to date, I make the son of Cokoriko a solid each-way play despite his 3lbs penalty.
13:55 Carlisle – Illico De Cotte
This 0-130 handicap chase over an extended 3m looks a really competitive renewal at this level, with the amazing veteran Crosspark heading the weights off a mark of 126, plus the promising Tom Broughton taking a much needed 5lbs of his back. Choosethenews looked in need of the run, when just backing out on the run-in when outstayed by Tedley over two and a half mile sat Wetherby, but I’m not sure he’s really crying out for an extra half mile on this stiffest of tracks.
Come On Teddy is the one I fear most. He was well backed on his proposed comeback at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago, but Harry Derham took the 10-year-old out, due the drying ground. If there is money on him again, and the ground is in his favour, then I would propose you have a saver on him as apparently his schooling at home had been spot on before that withdrawal.
But I’m going to row in with the market leader ILLICO DE COTTE here, if only because I think he will leave this class well behind him in the depths of the winter months. Only rated 118 over hurdles, this discipline was always going to suit him and he showed that in no uncertain terms by winning over three and a quarter miles here at the end of October. I actually thought he would be raised the best part of a stone for that run but 7lbs was the penalty pinned on him by the assessor. He jumped brilliantly that day, for a horse with no experience over fences in public, and that will stand him in good stead against more experienced chasers. His potential is sky high and I think he will brush these aside, and go onto better things, despite his position at the head of the market.
14:30 Carlisle – Jackpot d’Athou
A third to the very smart Quai de Bourbon at Ayr in April arguably makes Bertie’s Bullet the pick of the weights in this Challenger qualifier, but in two subsequent outings at Wetherby and Hexham, he’s been disappointing and arguably wouldn’t want more rain to change the ground here.
Pembroke didn’t entirely take to chasing, but as a hurdler ran some pretty hot races and this looks a good placing by Dan Skelton, off what looks an OK mark of 134, but I’m not sure he can give 13lbs away to JACKPOT D’ATHOU on this track.
Paul Nicholls has given his charge the expected and regular wind operation, and there was plenty to like about his comeback run at Kempton Park over 2m5f , when he only really backed out in the final quarter mile. Harry Cobden takes over in the saddle, and the return to a stiff 2m, allied to a bit more give in the turf looks much more his cup of tea. C&D winner, To Chase a Dream, battled home here at the end of October, but this looks a much tougher assignment for the Paul Collins’ trained runner, off a 5lbs higher rating.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
13:05 Fairyhouse – Stormy Judge
13:35 Fairyhouse – Bleu De Vassy (Each-Way)
13:55 Carlisle – Illico De Cotte
14:30 Carlisle – Jackpot d’Athou
*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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