Hi,
Please see my picks for Thursday’s racing:
Craggaknock – 1.45 Wetherby – 2m 4F Handicap Hurdle – 66/1 Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, BetVictor – 1 point Each Way.
The 11-year-old Craggaknock has been a good dual-purpose horse for connections, winning 5 times. He had good flat ability, reaching a postmark high of 88, with all three of his flat wins going left-handed over 1m 4F.
This raw flat ability transferred to the jumps where he won twice at Wetherby and reached a PM high of 125.
Craggaknock was sold on in 2019 to go Point to Pointing, but he must have suffered injuries as he only ran three times in three years.
Connections moved him to Tom Tate’s yard for this season, and off a monster 687-day absence, Craggaknock ran with real promise, making headway from the rear to challenge, only to blow up in the home straight and fade. His postmark of 92 (running off 106) showed he retains his ability.
Craggaknock returns for his second start and is back at his beloved Wetherby track, where he has won twice and placed twice from just 5 runs.
His mark is down to 100, and if he comes on for the run, he has a big chance in this.
We must back him 1 point each way at odds of 66/1 with Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, BetVictor, or Parimatch, who all offer 5 places.
He is still value at 20/1.
Trimmers Lane & Wells Gold – 12.40 Wetherby – 3 Mile Handicap Chase
I’m unusually putting up two horses in the same race, both I’ve put up before, I have included the previous write-ups on both for reference:
Trimmers Lane – 18/1 Coral, Ladbrokes, Bet365 (20/1) – 1 Point Each-Way – BOG.
Trimmers Lane goes back chasing after two low key runs over hurdles.
He won easily last season, over today’s course and distance off a 5lb lower mark and has Emma Smith-Chaston claiming 6lb.
He won so well a similar performance would see him with an excellent chance.
Read my previous write up for more context:
Trimmers Lane – 1.00 Catterick – 3m 1F Handicap Hurdle – 33/1 Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook. Ladbrokes – 4 places – 1 point Each Way
Trimmers Lane won cosily on his second start last season over the 2020 Christmas period and it looks to me that connections have lined up another Festive period win.
Trimmer Lane won off a mark of 79 and today races off 85 with the good 7lb claimer Emma Smith-Chaston so is effectively racing off a 1lb lower mark.
Last season Trimmers Lane had his seasonal debut over 2m 4F before stepping up to win over 3 miles on soft ground and it looks like a case of déjà vu as connections started off Trimmers Lane in another 2 m 4F handicap hurdle.
Today’s soft ground will be ideal for Trimmers Lane, and I’m really surprised we can back him at 33/1, 4 places with Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, and Ladbrokes.
He is still value at 12/1.
Wells Gold – 66/1 888, Coral, Ladbrokes – 1 Point Each-Way – BOG
Well’s Gold was a non-runner last time I put him up and whilst he is 7lb out of the handicap today, his 3lb claimer helps offset this.
Please see my previous write-ups for more background information:
Wells Gold – 1.20 Leicester – 2m 6.5F Handicap Chase – 50/1 Sky Paddy Power BetVictor – 4 Places.
Well’s Gold ran well for a long way last time out, only weakening late on. This was very much a step in the right direction as his baseline fitness is starting to build.
Considering he previously had 3 years off with only 1 run his form is starting to look encouraging.
Its interesting connections have added a tongue-tie today as horses can regularly suffer from a breathing issue after such a long time off.
His breathing must have been an issue on his last start which means that run can be upgraded. He was only beaten 16 lengths off a mark of 79 where he postmarked 76, so that was very promising.
Today he drops 4lb to a mark of 75 and is stepped up to 2F, which should bring out more improvement.
The good/soft, good in places ground is ideal for him and with Harry Bannister retaining the ride this looks like a great opportunity.
We can back wells Gold at 50/1, which I find astonishing considering he was only beaten 16 lengths last time out off a 4lb higher mark. So, we must take advantage and back him 1 point each way with Sky, Paddy Power or BetVictor, who all offer 4 places in this 13-runner event.
He still looks value at 20/1.
Wells Gold – 12.15 Southwell – 3m 2F Handicap Chase – 66/1 Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook & BetVictor – 1 Point Each Way.
This 3m 2F handicap chase places a great emphasis on stamina and it’s unusual to see a race where not one horse is a proven winner over the trip. Even the two short-priced favourites are taking a big step up so there is every chance of an outsider winning this.
The one I like at a price is the 10-year-old Wells Gold, he started life as a 4-year-old in 3-mile Point to Points and demonstrated ability by winning one and placing in others.
He moved under rules for the very good Fergal O’Brien and after some quiet runs in maidens, he started to show his form, winning a 2m 5F handicap hurdle off 83.
Fergal soon switched him to chasing and took his hurdles mark of 90. The Bookmaker’s must have intelligence in Fergal’s yard as the market always seems to know when his horses are expected to run well and Wells Gold went off 3/1 favourite in a 12-runner handicap chase.
Now he didn’t win, but he jumped well and stayed on strongly for 3rd. It was the 2m 5F trip that was simply too short for him, only losing by 4 lengths.
Bearing in mind he won a point to point as a young 5-year-old and had stayed on in other P2P’s. Then it’s fair to say now as a mature horse he has plenty of stamina to see out today’s trip. This is further backed up by his breeding.
Now as a 6-year-old Well’s Gold looked to have a promising staying chasing career in front of him with him set to be rated 100 – 130, but injury has cruelly denied him. He was pulled up on his next start and must have done a tendon as he was sold on to a small P2P trainer.
They started his rehabilitation and kept him off for a year before bringing him back to the track, but that must have been too soon as he was then off for a further 2 years!!
Connections have been incredibly patient and in August this year, Wells Gold returned to the track over a wholly inadequate 2m 2F in a handicap hurdle race where he was allowed to just pop round at the back. He jumped well but was outpaced and never ridden out and was only beaten 38 lengths, postmarking 58. This might not sound great, but under the circumstances, this was a very pleasing rehabilitation run.
He has been off another 4 months, but I don’t mind that as he will be over the dreaded bounce factor that can mean a horse underperforms on the second quick run back off a long absence.
What I like about him today is the switch back to chasing, where he remains hugely unexposed. Connections have stepped him right up to 3m 2F and have reapplied the cheekpieces that he wore for his best form with Fergal’s yard.
I read some race comments and Well’s Gold is a lazy horse who will only just do enough and the cheekpieces just help sharpen him up.
These weren’t on for his reappearance in August 2021 and I’m glad they have chosen today as the time to reapply them.
This coincides with the eye-catching booking of the very good Charlie Deutsch who is one of the best chaser jockeys on the circuit (No 1 jockey with Venetia Williams) and has a 19% strike rate over the big obstacles.Reading between the
