Reminder : There will not be any service from Sunday 23rd of January to Friday 28th of January , inclusive , as I am on holiday . Full service will be resumed on Saturday the 29th . All memberships will be extended by one week
Today’s Trixie
3 £1 doubles & £1 ew treble
Winds Of Fire 1.10 @ 11/2
Animal Instinct 1.55 @ 8/1
Leoncavello 2.43 @ 4/1
Ascot – soft ground on this stiff and galloping track
12.35 Irish Hill was a fortunate winner on his debut and the strength of that form leaves him with a bit to find with Twilight Twist , after his solid 4th at Cheltenham in a competitive Class 2 hurdle . If handling slightly softer ground , is the one to beat.
½ pt win Twilight Twist @ 15/8
1.10 Not a deep race and looks a 3 horse war between recent 2nd Cat Tiger , just beaten a nose last time but up a nasty 4 pounds for his trouble , the very capable Didero Vallis and the consistent Winds Of Fire, who has done nothing wrong since going chasing and only a pound higher for a close 3rd behind a pair of reliable yardsticks last time .
½ p tew Winds Of Fire @ 11/2
1.45 PREMIUM RACE
2.20 Willie Mullins runs the useful mare My Sister Sarah and as Paul Townsend is 3 from 3 aboard, obviously gets the best out of her and is preferred at this trip over Molly Ollys Wishes and the progressive Western Victory , who recently changed hands for £80,000 , leaving Ireland for Emma Lavelle .
½ pt win My Sister Sarah @ 9/4
2,55 Palmer’s Hill is 2 from 2 this season , both over fences and was awesome last time , winning as he pleased here , in the style which makes the hefty 8 pound hit very possible .
½ pt win Palmer’s Hill @ 11/4
3.35 Undoubtedly the match of the day between two top draw 2 mile chasers in the Willie Mullins trained Energueme , who has front run his way to a perfect 5 from 5 over fences while Shishkin is 6 from 6 over larger obstacles . They are very closely rated and something has to give , and as the tip is very likely to get his own way up front, I’m with him to get the run of the race and surprise many. Last year’s winner First Flow has a habit of popping in at long odds , such as last time , but hard seeing him troubling these two superstars .
½ pt win Energueme @ 13/8
4/05 It was a vey modest novice hurdle when Galia Des liteaux made successful winning debut in the Wetherby hurdle , but she did look good , but preference is for the luckless Complete Unknown , who’s been running big races in some hot races .
¼ pt win Complete Unknown @ 5/2
Ascot Placepot
3,4
10
1,8
2
1,2
2,4
16 bets
Selected Lingfield – all weather – polytrack
12.45 The short priced fav is recent 2nd at Southwell Totally Charming , but not for me in what looks a very winnable heat as he’s up 3 pounds, up in trip and has the worst of the draw in his first try at this track. Marion’s Boy is impossible to knock , winning his last 3 , all over C&D , but this looks a bigger ask . There’s not much early pace on which makes the well handicapped Athmad of interest , as he’s been going pretty well of late and well drawn for a front runner.
½ pt ew Athmad @ 18/1
1.20 This mile and a half trip is an issue for most of these , including classy handicapper Living Legend , so preference is for his stablemate in March Law, well drawn for a prominent racer and not far away last time out on this surface around this trip .
¼ pt win March Law @ 11/2
1.55 The lightly raced Diderot sluiced in last time on his first start for James Ferguson , but the 2nd and 3rd have done nothing for the form and he’s up a telling 8 pounds . There’s not much early pace in this which will help the well drawn front running Animal Instinct , who was narrowly beaten over C&D last time by the consistent and useful Mobashr , but has the weights in his favour . Very nice ew play .
½ pt ew Animal Instincts @ 8/1
2.30 There’s quite a lot of early pace on here which wont help those at the sharp end but will help the more patiently ridden ones , making Little Prayer , a running on 3rd over C&D last time of interest.
¼ pt ew Little Prayer @ 9/1
3.40 The valuable Winter Oaks , a Class 2 handicap , and a stack of in form fillies go to war and the fav is the massively progressive Umm Hurair , who has won her last three , all on the Wolver tapeta , so a bit to prove switching surface , up a very stiff 10 pounds and unlucky in the draw. The classy Viola has to be considered despite dropping in trip and up 4 pounds but the nod goes to the lightly raced Timeless Soul , whose programme suggests this is her target and returned from a break with an encouraging close 4th .
¼ pt ew Timeless Soul @12/1
Lingfield placepot
6
5,10
6
7,8
1,2
2,8
16 bets
Selected Haydock – very soft ground on this flat and galloping track
12.50 At the ratings looks a match between the 4 timer seeking Papa Tango Charley and the consistent and useful Minella Drama, but the former had to work very hard to prevail last time at Carlisle , so this track could be his undoing . Shakem Up Harry was a clear winner here last time and this unexposed chaser is likely to rate higher in the near future and going up in trip , could cause a mini shock .
¼ pt win Shakem Up Harry @ 9/2
1.25 Jonbon hasn’t broken sweat in winning all of his 4 races and this exciting prospect should be of interest for big rollers at 2/5.
No Bet
2.00 The massively prolific and progressive Tommy’s Oscar is very much favoured by the ratings and the 4 timer looks on , but is odds on .
No bet
2.35 PREMIUM RACE
3.10 A very open stayers hurdle but not too drawn to the fav in Brimless Water , up sharply In the ratings and trip . The nod goes to the consistent C&D winner Small Present .
¼ pt win Small Present @ 4/1
3.45 PREMIUM RACE
Haydock placepot
2,4
1
6
1,2
2,3
5,7
16 bets
Selected Taunton – good to soft on this flat and sharp track
12.58 The nod goes to Marble Sands who has been seeing his races out better than chief rivals Charlie’s Glance and Outlaw Peter .
½ pt win Marble Sands @ 2/1
1.33 Amelia’s Dance gained due reward for some consistent efforts with a clear win over C&D last time but drying ground and a hefty 8 pound hit makes the lightly raced Feel The Pinch of more interest after a decent 4th last time .
¼ pt ew Feel The pinch @ 9/1
2.43 Leoncavello is massively consistent but just can’t nail one, but this looks easier than of late and a deserved win could be his .
½ pt win Leoncavello @ 4/1
3.15 The classy and incredibly tough Yala Enki has won this for the last two years and hard to see him not notching the hat-trick , but is odds on .
No Bet
3.53 PREMIUM RACE
Taunton placepot
6
3,4,7
2,5,8
2
1
5,14
18 bets
Selected Wolver – all weather – tapeta
4.30 Hachert recently resumed duties with a highly encouraging effort back here over a trip too short . On a good mark and well drawn , lively longshot .
1/4 pt ew Hachert @ 11/1
5.00 Be a shock if Zameka fails to collect , brings the best form to the table and proven at the trip and surface , but is 2/5 .
No Bet
5.30 The consistent Dark Flyer is effective over C&d and on a workable mark and can land a modest event .
¼ pt win Dak Flyer @ 4/1
6.30 The lightly raced Old port came strongly off the pace to win here last time , but it wasn’t the strongest of heats and is up a stiff 5 pounds and goes up in trip . Mighty Power hasn’t been far away in recent runs over C&D and a nice ew play . the trip looks on the short side for he consistent Crown Power .
¼ pt ew Mighty Power @ 8/1
7.00 Sophar Sogood came into his last race in pretty good form and was in the right place at the right time when winning at Southwell at this trip and off just a pound lower and as the vast majority of his rivals are unproven at this trip, every chance of the double .
¼ pt win Sophar Sogood @ 6/1
7.30 All of these are struggling to get their noses in front and the hard to win with Brazen Arrow has a bit to prove switching to tapeta while the consistent First Verse finds this trip too far . Red Allure has gone close a few times of late and proven at the trip and surface and is preferred .
¼ pt win Red Allure @ 3/1
Wolver placepot
2,11
6
2
3,7
3,4
2,4
16 bets
