Friday 13th January

 

Fingers crossed for this lovely track after some Course issues in the Autumn, it's a dry day so the Going is likely to quite tacky and after fewer meetings likey a pretty deep grass cover too.

 

At the top of the market is Maillot Blanc, an impressive winner at Hereford last time and a very short price here, followed in the market by Basford, a handicap debutant for Jennie Candlish, upped in trip but without any ex P2P form. Benito is a Cartmel specialist but has to be feared with Brian Hughes in the saddle. If you wanted a short price win saver on the favourite, I could understand it, but I'm happy to take these 3 on.

 

At the other end of the market a drop in trip may help No Mor Isolation and the booking of Sean Bowen catches the eye and a better run would be no surprise. Just Call Me Al has got a good Course record but I'd be very concerned about its ability to enhance that in the likely underfoot conditions and the same applies to Iolani. Of those IF I was having a bit of shrapnel on anything it would be NO MOR ISOLATION.

 

I've put both SOCKS OFF and CORAL BLUE in the Tracker though a while back and when both popped up and I then looked at the form of every horse in the race and the conditions I found no reason not to invest in them here at nice e/w prices.

 

SOCKS OFF for Rebecca Menzies ran a pleasing run and probably career best last time at Newcastle finishing 3rd in a big field there, that was on Good to Soft going but I've no qualms about the Going and a mark of 98 with a 5lbs Claimer gives it every chance of going at least one place better and hopefully nicking the win. CORAL BLUE won at Kelso in the Autumn and was then a runner up at Newcastle, the mark has gone up slightly from a winning mark of 86 to a placed mark of 92 up to 94 today but the form of those last 2 runs looks very solid.

 

 

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I looked long and hard at the 2.20 Handicap Chase, Relkadam and LUCKY ROBIN could both revive off declining marks, Ashjan and Ard Chros may on balance just need this run today, Graystown is in the Tracker but is a 10lbs better horse at Hexham so we'll wait for that opportunity to come around, Zuckerburg and CASH AGAIN have every chance and in particular CASH AGAIN looked to be running in to form last time and is 12lbs below last winning Chase mark today.

 

Large Action and Tom Green though look pretty formidable at the top of the market and a F/Cast on those pair may be a wise move. Their strength tempered my enthusiasm a bit in terms of investment but i will have a shrapnel bet on CASH AGAIN and LUCKY ROBIN