Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Horse Racing Tips
14:40 Curragh – Big Gossey
15:02 Chepstow – Militaire
15:57 Market Rasen – Springs A Girl
16:47 Chepstow – Monbari
*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 Curragh – Big Gossey
Four of these have been kept on the go on the all-weather with the other 12 having not racing for at least 133 days or more.
Returning to 6f will be a huge plus for Laugh A Minute who ran a solid race over the minimum trip at Dundalk last time. The 10-year-old is sure to come on for that run and the extra distance will suit him. Stag Night has a fair record fresh, but is a lot worse off at the weights than his veteran rival from last autumn, and will have to take another step forward on what will only be his 16th start.
Rappell has made great strides having started last season off a mark of 49 and now finds himself on 79. Of course he needs another step forward in this grade, but this is his optimum trip for me.
All the above three are worth serious consideration, but my vote fell upon old boy BIG GOSSEY who is just so versatile from the minimum trip up to and including a mile. He has the advantage of coming here race fit following a fair run over a longer distance, but in my book is a much better player coming off a fast pace over shorter, and his current mark of 102 is viable against this class of opponent.
15:02 Chepstow – Militaire
This looks a competitive betting heat for this level with several of these still to fully show their hands over this trip and not yet fully exposed. My eye was first drawn to Roger Rarebit, who could easily have a better record over fences than his current one win from six, and would have placed on two occasions had his jumping been more fluent. It’s not that the eight-year-old has made serious errors, just niggly ones, hitting the top of a fence, which means he lost all momentum and put him on the back foot. A clean round of fencing will surely see him involved in this Class 4 event.
Exmoor Forest continues to run well without winning, but as a result, the handicapper finds it hard to drop him in the weights and probably still has him in his pocket. Ask Brewster was behind him at Taunton last time out, and if he couldn’t handle those fences, then Chepstow will be a bigger problem.
So that turns me in the direction of Warren Greatrex charge MILITAIRE who I have long thought was in need of a test of stamina. This will be only his 10th run under rules, and his first over 3m, so expect a big step up in form as his style of racing and breeding suggests he should relish it.
15:57 Market Rasen – Springs A Girl
There may only be seven set to line up for this Class 4 staying handicap hurdle, but with the make-up of the field, I think they will go a pretty good pace all the way with the likes of West Side Of Life and Serious Chat always to the fore in their races. Both can at least be classified as pressers and have led in the races between them over 60% of the time.
There is some good novice hurdles form on show here too, and two of these have been crying out for a test at this trip, albeit we are now entering the spring and the likelihood of genuinely good ground.
Bottom weight Geordie Night looks sure to go well off his feather weight and a mark of just 90, Tom Broughton takes 5lbs off, judged on his last run alone over this course and distance when they went a modest pace and he was predictably outpaced on the far side for the final time. However, he kept on well to finish a closing third, and I make him the biggest danger to the selection.
Martin Keighley’s charge SPRINGS A GIRL has been set some stiff tasks so far in her career, most notably when having to take on no less than Cheltenham Festival winner The New Lion at Newbury. Since then she has run two solid races in mares at Ludlow, with young partner Daire McConville doing little wrong. A 2lb penalty for a close up second, would have won in another stride, is neither here or there for this daughter of Irish Wells and she’s taken to give weight away all round.
16:47 Chepstow – Monbari
This 0-100 handicap hurdle is fairly competitive for its level and there are definitely a few ’lurkers’ that could bounce back to form off lowly marks and watching the market place may give us a few clues. I can’t get a hang on Orbys River, who promised plenty when a good staying on second at Market Rasen, but then seemed to race without much sparkle last time at Leicester. However, that was off a pretty slow pace, and as a result, his hurdling fell to pieces. Off a quicker gallop I expect a resurrection and he is a big player. Back over hurdles, Stony Man is also interesting, but his run last time was just too bad to be true and it needs a degree of loyalty to back him here albeit at a massive price.
Idealko is probably still on a fair mark after failing to land the four timer last time out when he could have done with a better end to end gallop. The nod goes to the top weight MONBARI who is set to run off his lowest career handicap mark, dipping below three figures for the first time. You could readily argue the son of Zanzibari would ideally want a bit more give in the ground, but I thought he ran a promising race on his comeback at Ffos Las only backing out approaching the second last. He should take a step forward from that first run for over two months and should really be winning a race of this level.
Sunday Racing Tips
14:40 Curragh – Big Gossey
15:02 Chepstow – Militaire
15:57 Market Rasen – Springs A Girl
16:47 Chepstow – Monbari
*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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