Horse Racing Tips: Paul Jacobs’ value plays across the tracks on Sunday

Value's the name of the game when PJ's in town and he likes Pipers Cross in the 16:30 at Chepstow.

Paul Jacobs Byline for Jumps Racing

By / Horse Racing Tips / 2 weeks ago

Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Horse Racing tips

14:40 Navan – Farran Glory
15:00 Exeter – Ask Me Early
15:12 Navan – Coffeys Forge
16:30 Chepstow – Pipers Cross

*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.

14:40 Navan – Farran Glory

This year’s renewal of the Boyne Hurdle, most famously won by the ultra game Limestone Lad twice at the beginning of the century, has a bundle of pace in it with a couple of front runners, more pressers, and two of these that, in ideal circumstances want a bit further. That all adds up to a well run race on the deep ground and therefore a bit of a slog.

Maxxum is the strongest stayer in the lineup and is a previous course and distance winner (albeit off 109 in a handicap, which is far removed from this), but his best chance is to be in the van from flag fall and turn this into a proper test.

Thedevilscoachman is holding his form well at the age of nine, and his comeback run in the Galmoy was a cracker, having been off the track for 297 days on previous form, he holds the mare Riviere d’Etel and the gelding looks a big danger to my ‘value’ play. The last named has been regressive over fences, and once again, her fencing failed the test at Fairyhouse when she fell four out. A fair novice hurdler, this return to timber looks like the right call.

Very lightly raced for an eight-year-old, FARRAN GLORY won his bumper here before only finding Grade One company too hot to handle as a novice hurdler in the spring festivals behind the likes of Ballyburn and Jango Baie.

However, it should be qualified that he probably would have beaten the latter had he not fallen at the second last in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at the Liverpool track. Four runs over fences haven’t been convincing despite a victory at Naas, and his run behind Lecky Watson at Fairyhouse last time out was a blowout as early as the first when he nearly had a grass sandwich. This return to hurdling looks spot on, and it is worth remembering that this will only be his 11th career start and his sixth over hurdles.

15:00 Exeter – Ask Me Early

The main entry I want to take on here in this veterans’ event is Copperhead. He has made an extraordinary return to form of late and was as game as can be when winning a valuable event at Mark Rasen last time out when holding at bay the persistent challenge of Sam Brown up the final climb.

However, he had a desperately hard race that day, his fifth of the season, and I will cast him aside today. Blackjack Magic will be much more at peace in this his first veteran’s race, and if the ground were to dry out appreciably, then I fancy he will outrun his price and leave those two pulled-up efforts behind.

But the one that offers the best value in my mind has to be the Harry Fry runner, ASK ME EARLY. He was ill-suited by Wincanton last time out, being taken off his feet on the good to soft ground off a rating of 130, eventually being pulled up three out, given a fairly easy time in the previous half mile.

However, course figures of 191 make him a big player back at the Devon track. This will be his first run off a mark sub 130, the other two in 120’s he won back to back at Chepstow in his novice days and for an 11-year-old he doesn’t have too many miles on the clock, this being just a 20th career start and his 15th over fences.

15:12 Navan – Coffeys Forge

This two and three-quarter mile handicap hurdle has a lovely betting shape to it, with several of these players struggling to find their form, but as a consequence, they have been given a chance by the handicapper.

It is interesting that connections have kept the 11-year-old Waittillitellyou in training as he has been off the track for 325 days, but this will only be his 13th career start, and he has gone well fresh in the past. If there is a market move for the top weight, then he could be worth a saver behind the selection.

Rated as high as 102 last year, Gordon Elliott’s charge, COFFEYS FORGE, returned to action following a two-month freshen-up with a cracking second at Clonmel and set to race off a handicap mark of 92. His chance is there for all to see.

Of the remainder, the maiden Pointe A Pitre remains open to significant progress, and this stiffer test may suit this grey mare well. A winning point-to-pointer in her time, I fancy that the nine-year-old will be ridden forward here, and off her lightweight, I think that she will take plenty of beating up the uphill finish here.

16:30 Chepstow – Pipers Cross

Down to class five for the first time in ages, don’t write off I’m A Starman. Mark Rimell’s charge has returned with two solid races at Warwick, and being a stuffy horse, he should now be at peak fitness for this first start and 5lbs below his last winning mark as well.

Off a light weight, I will be looking to see some serious improvement in likely outsider Livy’s Lad now that he runs over a stamina-sapping distance for the first time in his career, and I would expect connections to try and be in the van, if not lead from the start to bring his stamina into play.

But in the end, I have sided with Emma Lavelle’s charge, PIPERS CROSS, despite the fact that the daughter of Soldier of Fortune won’t be charged a big price.

I loved the way that the selection rallied over the course and distance last time out when third behind Jack Sprat off 91, and he gets to race off 89 today due to his conditional claim. His last win came off 92, so as long as we get a good end-to-end gallop, I suspect his stamina will see him outstay the likes of the lightly raced Gata Ban and Thirtyfour Thirty.

Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Horse Racing tips

14:40 Navan – Farran Glory
15:00 Exeter – Ask Me Early
15:12 Navan – Coffeys Forge
16:30 Chepstow – Pipers Cross

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.

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