Tag: Warwick Classic Chase

Warwick Classic Chase Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The big steeplechase this weekend is the Warwick Classic Chase, due off at 3.35 on Saturday. The race is over three miles and five furlongs and the going is expected to be very testing.

Shotgun Paddy did this column a good turn last year and bids for a repeat win under top weight of 11st 12lb. On the face of it, he has a stiff task but he is actually racing off only a 2lbs higher mark than last season.

Emma Lavelle’s eight-year-old can get very low at some of his fences but he was able to get away with ploughing through the last fence before beating Carruthers by six lengths. The runner-up ran a cracker that day but is surely getting a little long in the tooth for a competitive race such as this.

Shotgun Paddy came within a quarter of a length of winning at the Cheltenham Festival last March when just failing to catch Midnight Prayer.  Lavelle had no hesitation in nominating the Welsh National as his early season target but everything went wrong at Chepstow. He lost his position early on and then slithered on landing over the second fence. Jockey Leighton Aspell pulled him up before the seventh fence when it was clear that he was not going to get involved.

Daryl Jacob takes over in the saddle on Saturday and he remains a very promising young chaser. The fences do not take a great deal of jumping around here and he looks good each-way value at 8-1.

The early favourite is the novice chaser Return Spring, trained by Philip Hobbs. He was useful over hurdles last season, winning at Cheltenham in November. This will be only the fourth chase of his career after finishing third to Kings Palace last time. His jumping was a bit sketchy that day, although he does have a similar profile to Shotgun Paddy from a year ago.

West End Rocker is now thirteen years of age but won at Lingfield in December. He is up 4lbs and Cheltenham winner Benbane Head carries an 8lbs penalty. Hawkes Point was fancied for the Welsh National after finishing second in the race in 2013 but was under pressure a long way from home and was eventually pulled up. He is difficult to fancy on that evidence and I shall stick with Shotgun Paddy in the hope that he can defy top weight.

Shotgun Paddy @8-1 Paddy Power

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4

Warwick Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Earlier this week I previewed the Warwick Classic Chase and picked out Shotgun Paddy with a saver on Any Currency. There does not seem to have been a great amount of business on the race so far as the bookies are still going 7-1 the field.

I you haven’t got involved yet, the 8-1 about Shotgun Paddy looks tempting. His stamina in the heavy ground is the unknown factor but he still looks the horse with the most progressive profile here. Any Currency can still be supported at 25-1 but only he will know whether he is in the mood on Saturday. He is not in the “Mad Moose” category but he looks as though he needs a bit of kidology.

I am going to add Royale Knight at 11-1 (each-way) as I’m concerned that the going will prove too testing for several of these. If you saw Royale Knight’s latest win, his jockey was looking between his legs for dangers all the way up the straight. He has gone up for that win and races from out of the handicap but Brendan Powell in the saddle is a bonus and I can see him running well.

The Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle at 3.00 could go the way of Deputy Dan. He runs in the same colours as Puffin Billy and thank goodness that horse survived a bout of colic recently. It is hoped that Puffin Billy will return as a novice chaser next term but Oliver Sherwood looks to have a ready-made replacement in Deputy Dan.

When he was beaten by Champagne West here in December it looked no more than an average novice event but the winner has since gone on to land a big gamble in a handicap. Deputy Dan then came out and trounced his rivals in the mud at Chepstow on Welsh National day. He will certainly have similar conditions tomorrow and rates a good bet at 4-1.

You have to respect Rathvinden from the Mullins stable and he is the obvious danger. Masters Hill was probably flattered by his second to Kings Parade at Cheltenham but holds Potters Cross on that form. Killala Quay and Creepy have both won races this season but I’m optimistic that Deputy Dan can win again in his favoured ground.

The Pertemps qualifier sees African Gold return to hurdling after a couple of disastrous runs over fences. Last season he looked the sort of horse that wanted a fence so I won’t be rushing to take the 4 or 5-1 about him defying top weight here. I’m going to take a chance on Drop Out Joe handing the heavy ground at 9-1. He was unlucky to lose out in a photo finish last time and has a rounded action that suggests he will go on this surface. We shall soon find out!

Drop Out Joe at 9-1 BetVictor

Deputy Dan at 4-1 Bet365

Royale Knight at 11-1 Boylesports

Warwick Classic Chase Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Warwick Classic Chase is a race similar to the Welsh National in that it often requires a real slogger to see out the marathon trip. I remember backing old Moorcroft Boy to win this many moons ago with his limitless stamina and love of heavy ground. He duly obliged and I thought he was going to make me rich in the 1994 Grand National when he jumped into the lead before Dunwoody galvanised Miinnehoma for a final effort.

This week’s race will take place in heavy ground so the same rules apply. Having gone through the runners a couple of times, it is hard to pinpoint one that you could safely call a mud lark. I suppose you would have to consider Boyfromnowhere one of those least likely to be inconvenienced by the going after his gutsy win at Fontwell. My problem with that race was that the form looks extremely moderate and this is an altogether tougher task.

It is always tempting to go with class in this type of event and the one that stands out is Shotgun Paddy. He is only a novice but has been racing against a really good sort in Black Thunder. He would have given him a tough race last time had he not clattered the second last and handed the initiative to the Nicholls runner. I’ve no idea whether he will see out the last three-quarters of a mile if the going continues to deteriorate but it’s worth taking a chance at 7-1.

Willie Mullins has taken out On His Own and relies on Vesper Bell. This one travelled over for the Becher Chase and made a hasty exit at the first fence. If that experience hasn’t knocked his confidence, he is one of those with form in this type of ground and has to be respected but it is effectively his first race of the season.

I cannot see the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers winning under top weight on his first start of the year whilst Hey Big Spender and Master Overseer are difficult to catch right. I was looking forward to a good campaign for Same Difference this year but he has been lifeless in his first two races. If he were to bounce back to his best he would definitely be in with a shout but I cannot support him until he improves.

I’m also going to put up Any Currency as an each-way alternative after his excellent run at Cheltenham in December. That came in the Cross Country race won by Sire Collonges. He obviously takes a bit of knowing and needs to be kidded along so he is as likely to be pulled up as win. At 20-1 he is worth a small saver.

Shotgun Paddy at 7-1 William Hill

Any Currency (each-way) at 20-1 Boylesports