Hi
Please see my first early tip for Thursday:
Lady Vinetta – 2.45 Sedgefield – 2m 5F Handicap Hurdle – 40/1 Skybet – 5 Places – 1 Point Each Way.
This mares handicap hurdle is in memory of the game Grade 1 Lady Buttons and I’m hoping another lady steps up to win in Lady Vinetta.
She is very lightly raced and shown modest form to date. In her 3 maiden hurdles she started off over 2 miles, but in her third start was stepped up in trip and ran her best race over todays course and distance.
That day she was still learning her job and was held up in rear before making headway into midfield, but in the home straight she was never seriously ridden to attack the leaders and coasted up the home straight to finish 6th of 13 runners postmarking 84.
She then stepped into handicap company and was ridden by the champion jockey Brian Hughes but was pulled up. After watching the race Brian was looking down at her and something was clearly amiss.
On her final start just two weeks later in November 2020 she was again a no show. Lady Vinetta hasn’t run since, and I think something was definitely troubling her.
She has been given a nice but of time off so I’m confident those problems will be behind her. It’s just whether her stable will have her fit enough first time out.
Well, Gillian Boanas has her string in fine form. All four of her runners in the past 14 days have either won or made the frame so I think there is cause for optimism.
Lady Vinetta runs here off a lowly mark of 79 and has already run to 84 over todays course and distance (when not ridden out for 3 furlongs up the home straight) and with the good strong & talented jockey in Danny McMenamin on board she can definitely win this if fit enough.
At 40/1 with Skybet, who off 5 places in this 14 runner field, we are getting the right odds to find out and I recommend 1 point each way.
She still looks value at 16/1.
Hitchcock – 1.50 Thurles – 2m Handicap Hurdle – 40/1 Skybet – 5 Places – 1 Point Each Way.
Thurles is a proper undulating sharp track and many a horse struggles to act well. Course form is definitely a key way to find the winners here and there are two I like in the field; both are big prices.
The old boy 11 year old Fintown Lad has a lot going for him, with a course and distance win back in 2018 off 88 (runs off 80 today) and my favourite young claiming jockey Jack Foley in the plate. He is also 40/1 and as write this I’m starting to think maybe I should be tipping him!!! But his trainer has never won a race and Fintown has been kept away from soft ground all his career (apart from a good run on it on his second ever start).
It’s a close call, but instead I like the chances of Hitchcock. He is in his prime at 7 years old but was off the track for two years, only returning this season. I can see his connections have brought him along slowly and he now looks primed to run a big race.
As a younger horse he won on the flat in the UK. It was interesting that it took the application of blinkers (replacing cheekpieces) to do the trick and he bolted up on soft ground.
He was sold on to jumping connections and as a 4 year old ran with a degree of credit postmarking 101 and around that mark on three occasions. These runs coincided with the use of a tongue tie and cheekpieces, but the better runs were with blinkers.
Upon his return to action in 2021 the headgear and tongue tie were left off for his first 4 runs, before cheekpieces were added. This saw a mild improvement, but on his last run he was poor.
I think his breathing has been troubling him again so I’m glad to see the tongue tie go back on. But what excites me is the reapplication of blinkers for the first time. Remember he’s put up his best performance switching from cheekpieces to the blinkers.
He runs off a mark of 80 with a fair 5lb claimer (who has won for the yard) on board which nets his mark down to 75. Considering he has run to 101 he definitely has a chance at the weights today.
With connections showing positive intent for the first time it’s great that we can back him at 40/1 generally, but he is best odds guaranteed with Boyles who go 4 places and recommend 1 point each way.
He is still value at 20/1.
Rockesbury – 5.55 Chelmsford – 6F Handicap = 11/1 Boyles BOG – 1 Point Each Way.
Long term customers know all about Rockesbury as I have put him up multiple times and he has won and placed for us.
His favourite track is Chelmsford and 6F/7F is his trip.
He definitely has his level and wins off marks between 46 and 55. When he goes above that mark he struggles.
Rockesbury is now back down to a winning mark of 53 and he looked to be running back into form last time over a totally inadequate 5F finishing within 2 lengths of the winner.
He steps back up today ad is reunited with Luke Morris who has won on him multiple times.
He is a nice value price of 11/1 and I can therefore recommend 1 point each way.
He is still value at 8/1
