Hi,
Please see my one tip for Thursday:
Trouble and Strife – 7.45 Tramore – 2M 4F Handicap – 12/1 Skybet – 5 Places – 1 Point Each Way
This is your usual competitive Irish handicap hurdle.
Many have chances, but the one I like who has been threatening to win one of these big handicaps is Trouble and Strife.
He was originally trained on the flat by Sir Mark Prescott and was one of his classic staying horses who ran over short trips as a two year old before stepping up to more suitable middle distance and staying trips. He won three races and peaked at a decent 88 postmark.
The one big thing I took from his flat form was his need for good ground.
He was sold onto Irish connections who ran him over inadequate 2 miles and soft ground to get his handicap mark of 98 and I really thought he would go on and win multiple hurdle races over 2m 4F and 3 miles, but as yet he has only managed a second.
This season connections started him over 2 miles and then gave him a flat race before it looked like they meant business when they stepped him up to 2m 4F, put the tongue and cheekpieces back on that he wore when coming second. He opened at 9/2 in a 17 runner handicap but drifted out to 9/1 before finishing a staying on 4th.
That was a decent run, and the handicapper has dropped him another pound to 89 and I like they have now brought in the highly promising 7lb claimer Jack Foley. Remember his name as I have been very impressed with him. He is excellent at race riding and has already won plenty of big handicaps, he seems to judge the pace of the race extremely well and positions his horses to pounce in the home straight. This is exactly the ride we need today.
With his 7lb claim Trouble and Strife runs off just 82 and he must be in with a big chance. My one concern is the 2m 4F trip as I would ideally have run him over 2m 6F or 3 miles.
He will certainly be running on at the end of the race and that’s why I’m keen to put him up with Skybet who go 12/1 and 5 places.
He is still value at 8/1.
