My Monday selections have been pretty dire but at least if you have been following my horses for the tracker feature you would have been on a successive big Saturday handicap chase winner as The Dutchman, available at 12/1 in the morning, sent off at odds of 13/2 won the Peter Marsh handicap chase at Haydock. That win followed on from Milansbar’s 12/1 (20/1 was available in the morning) win in Betfred Classic Chase at Warwick on the previous Saturday. Not a bad profit on the tracker horses since November and a particularly big one if you got on at the best early prices!
Let’s hope I will be unearthing a few winners in my Cheltenham tracker horse feature. The second of which I have for you today.
A Light Shines through Ascot Gloom
Un De Sceaux’s third win the Clarence House Stakes on Saturday was expected by most punters but still, on a cold, damp and gloomy Ascot, his performance was that little ray of sunshine. The 10-year-old has tended to live in the shadows of his stablemates Faugheen, Douvan and Vautour but he just goes onto the racecourse and gets the job done.
When he started his hurdling career there was never any doubt that he had an engine, I think on soft ground he would have won a Champion Hurdle, but he sadly never got to show what he could do in that sphere.
He was always a free going sort of horse in his early days but these days he's a more relaxed horse, who gets 2m 5f as she showed when winning the Ryanair Chase at the last years Festival and would probably stay 3m now. He doesn’t need the mud to be at his best as we saw at Cheltenham last year but at around 2m I think he’s unbeatable when he gets testing ground. It’s unlikely to be soft come March but if it was he would win the Champion Chase.
Looking at his record in Grade 1 chases between 1m 7 ½ f & 2m 1f his form figures on rain-softened ground are 111F111, with the only blemish coming when falling two out at Leopardstown back in December 2015 and even then he was travelling so well he would have won that day.
It’s just a shame that this tough and reliable horse that epitomises all that’s great about jumps racing doesn’t seem to get the recognition he deserves. Un De Sceaux is a special Horse! Let’s enjoy him while we can.
Cheltenham Festival: Horses for the Tracker
After today there are just seven more Monday’s before the tapes rise at the start of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Here is my second horse for your trackers with Cheltenham in mind.
This week I am looking at the Willie Mullins trained Bacardys. The 7-year-old hasn’t really taken to fences on two starts over the larger obstacles, falling in a beginners chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. Not surprisingly then to see that Willie Mullins has decided to return the horse to hurdles. He was third in the Champion Bumper two years ago and last year he was sent off just 4/1 for last years Neptune Hurdle. He was pulled up that day but had been hampered at the 5th and that was his race done. He bounced back by beating Finian’s Oscar, by a short head, in the 2m 4f Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival to show his class and consistency.
Willie Mullins recently confirmed that Bacardys would be heading to Cheltenham with the Stayers Hurdle now his target. He stays well and although he has yet to race beyond 2m 5f under rules he did win over 3m in a point-to-point and looks capable of improving for 3m at Cheltenham.
In what now looks like an interesting and open betting race for the Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle, for those of you looking to get involved ante-post, I am happy to recommend the 16/1 available with Ladbrokes on him for the race.
Monday Racing
Lingfield has been lost to the weather which means there are only two meetings today Fakenham and Wolverhampton. Should Fakenham not take place look out for the well-handicapped, former C&D winner Rockwood in the lucky last at Wolverhampton. But I am off to Norfolk for today’s selection.
Monday Selection
Fakenham
2:25 – Popelys Gull – The 6-year-old came up against a Ben Pauling improver in Creep Desbois over 2m 5f here last month. The handicapper has raised him just 1lb for that run which seems lenient to me. The selection steps up to 3m today but he stayed 3m over hurdles so the extra distance shouldn’t be an issue. Trainer Pam Sly had a winner last week and I think her runner can add to his Wetherby novice chase win earlier in the season.
2:25 – Popelys Gull – 3/1
All that’s left now is to wish you a profitable week’s betting.
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I absolutely agree about UDS, all the fangirling about the Ricci horses and as you say he just comes out and does the business