Morning all,

It was a frustrating Tuesday for me. Firstly, Virgin Media experienced technical issues which meant no broadband for me and at the time of writing on Tuesday evening there’s still no broadband. The estimated fix is now 2pm on Wednesday, mind you it was supposed to have been fixed by 4pm on Tuesday, so who knows.

I must admit Virgin Media haven’t been down as long and I have been with them for a long time. I had been meaning to buy a WIFI mini to use and this gave me the incentive to so. And, so far so good, it works which is the main thing.

Secondly, our lass tested positive on a Covid lateral flow test. The second was negative. However, to be on the safe side I drove her to a test centre to get a PCR test which fingers crossed will be negative. All in all, one of those days. But less of me. Back to the action on the track.

Inside today’s main piece. I begin my look ahead to weekend’s big race action and there’s plenty of it. The Saturday's Tingle Creek comes under the big race microscope. Plus, there’s a selection from the veterans chase at Haydock.

Something for the Weekend – Part 1

It all begins on Friday with the first day of Sandown's Tingle Creek meeting. For those of you lucky enough not be working ITV will be covering four races from Sandown and three races from Exeter.

The Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase is the highlight of a seven-race card at Sandown on Saturday Hopefully we’ll see Chacun Pour Soi come over from Ireland to take on Nube Negra. The Henry VII Novices’ Chase (1.50) is the other Grade 1 on the card. Add in some potentially competitive handicaps and you have the makings of great card with decent field sizes, provided we get some rain between now and the weekend.

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase

Just 69 horses have run in the Tingle Creek Chase in the past 10-years. Just eight were left in the race on Monday So this year’s race seems likely see an average sized field.

Some great horses have won the Tingle Creek including Desert Orchid, Moscow Flyer (Twice), Kauto Star (Twice), Master Minded (Twice), Sprinter Sacre, Sire de Grugy (Twice), Un de Sceaux and Flagship Uberalles.

Looking at some of the ten year’s trends.

Odds SP: 9/1 & under – 10 winners from 39 runners 19 placed

Official Rating: 166+ – 7 winners from 16 runners 12 placed

Wins in Last Year: 0 – 0 winners from 15 runners 2 placed

Willie Mullins has two of the eight runnersin Chacun Pour Soi & Allaho. It seems likely that the former will come over but Allaho seems more likely to head to Cork for Sunday’s Grade 2 Hilly Way.

Contenders:

Chacun Pour Soi the 6/4 favourite, is top on official ratings and is the clearly the best horse in the race. The 9-year-old goes well fresh so shouldn’t lack for fitness on his return to action and although this seems likely to be the quickest ground, he’s raced on is the one to beat. That said he’s on shoe given he faces the famous Sandown hill.

Nube Negra has 8lb to find with the favourite. However, he did put in a career best effort when winning the Grade 2 Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on his seasonal reappearance last month. It was a comfortable 6-length success from Politologue that day and that performance came on good ground which suits.

Given the Paul Nicholls record in the race you can’t totally dismiss the claims of Greaneteen & Hitman. The former is only 1lb behind Nube Negra, albeit we might have not seen the best of that one yet. A previous C&D winner Greaneteen was runner-up in last year’s race but this does look a much stronger renewal. He was ultimately well beaten on his seasonal return in the Haldon Gold Cup under top-weight. However, he was very fresh that day and that run should have sharpened him up for this.

Hitman finished two places in front of his stablemate at Exeter but was getting 17lb from Greaneteen that day. The slight drop in trip looks a positive and given he’s just a 5-year-old is open to more progress over fences.

Henry De Bromhead could bring over Captain Guinness. The 6-year-old was a useful novice chaser last season but has been let down by his jumping. He Jumped well enough when winning a Grade 3 at Naas on his seasonal return last month. Needs to find more improvement to win this though.

Wednesday Racing

Four meetings today. Haydock is the only one over jumps and despite the soft ground, the six-race card has attracted just 55 runners. At least the field size has held up for the feature race with 12 set to meet the starter for the veteran’s handicap chase (2:50). There are three all-weather cards at Lingfield & Dundalk in the afternoon and Kempton this evening.

Haydock

2:50 – Jewson Altrincham Veterans' Handicap Chase (Leg 12 Of The Veterans' Chase Series) (Class 2) – 3m 1 ½ f

A cracking veterans chase with plenty of old favourites in action. If I lived closer to Haydock there would be worse places to be on Wednesday afternoon.

Aso heads the market for Venetia Williams. The 11-year-old has a touch of class and shapes like he needs 3m these days although its worth noting he’s 0 winners from 8 starts 1 placed racing beyond an extended 2m 5f and hasn’t won since January 2019. Will be sharper for his recent run in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Cheltenham 18-days ago and has dropped to a nice mark 8lb below his neck 2^nd of 12 at Warwick in February.

Lake View Lad won the Many Clouds Chase on his seasonal reappearance last season. The top-weight has won twice on his seasonal return so fitness shouldn’t be an issue. Very much in the mix given he’s dropped down to an attractive handicap mark.

Blaklion is another who back down to a decent mark. The 12-year-old returned from a 7-month absence with a promising 5^th of 11 at Bangor last month and isn’t out of it.

Prime Venture is one of the six 10-year-old in the field. He's is another who won first time up last season, off today’s mark, and hasn’t been beaten far in the last two running’s of the Welsh Grand National. Well, beaten over hurdles at Ffos Las but should strip fitter today.

Ami Desbois put in cracking reappearance, after an 11-length absence, when a 1 ¼ length 2^nd of 11 at Kempton in January. First run since falling in the Grand National, However, the 11-year-old has to be respected on his first run for Fergal O’Brien.  

Verdict:

I'm torn between Aso & Lake View Lad who have both been given a chance by the handicapper.

Selection: Lake View Lad.

Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John