Tag: Wetherby

Wetherby stages first ever flat race card

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

National Hunt fans can be forgiven to double-check their racecards on Sunday as Wetherby stages its first ever flat card after 123 years. The new initiative is apparently to diversify and attract new customers to the Yorkshire track and jump racing remains its staple diet.

The opening day has attracted 91 runners so no shortage of support from local trainers and also from those further afield. My two best bets on the card are travelling from down south with Barry Hills and Andrew Balding aiming to add Wetherby to their list of winning courses.

Barry Hills is well into the veteran stage and only returned to training following the tragic loss of his son. He will retire for a second time at the end of the season with the yard being transferred to Owen Burrows but he still hopes to make his mark. He can strike on Sunday with the maiden filly Wardat Dubai in the 2.35.

She ran a most encouraging race on her debut when a close fifth behind Aloft at Newmarket over a mile. She then came up against a very smart filly in Luca Cumani’s Pamona at the same track, fading in the closing stages to finish third in soft ground. She is by Mawatheeq out of an Efisio mare and should be up to winning in this grade with any normal improvement from two to three.

The feature race is the five-furlong sprint at 4.40 with Andrew Balding saddling the top weight Secret Hint. She raced five times as a three-year-old, winning at Doncaster and Newmarket. Both races were over six furlongs and she was also tried over seven at Goodwood in July. She was drawn badly that day and failed to last home but showed improved form on her next visit to the Sussex track.

She raced on her own for much of the race but was still only beaten a length and a half by the in-form Inciting Incident. She then won at Newmarket on good ground in September, holding off the persistent challenge of Remember to win by three-quarters of a length. She has only been raised 4lbs for that success and looks to have more scope than her rivals here.

If she continues to progress, Balding will be hoping to secure some black type later in the season with the daughter of Oasis Dream.

Wardat Dubai 2.35 @2-1 Bet365

Secret Hint 4.40 @5-2 Bet365

Wetherby Wednesday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Wetherby stages an interesting card on Wednesday with several promising horses in action. The big stables are only just starting to introduce their better horses but Jonjo O’Neill is wasting no time in unleashing Fort Worth for his hurdling debut.

The gelding by Presenting was bought after finishing fourth in a point-to-point in Ireland and races in the colours of Messrs Magnier, Smith and Tabor. They don’t tend to invest too much in the National Hunt game so it is usually worth noting those that do carry their silks.

Fort Worth won with embarrassing ease at Huntingdon last November under Richie McLernon in a bumper on soft ground. It is true that the horse he beat has not managed to chalk up a success in five subsequent attempts but the style of Fort Worth’s victory suggests that he is worth following. The son of Presenting will need to be half-decent to beat Lady Buttons who was second at Aintree in the spring and also makes her hurdling bow.

The handicap hurdle at 3.25 also has several interesting horses including Goodwood Mirage for the O’Neill/McCoy team. He was bought to win a Triumph Hurdle but never looked likely to justify such high ambitions. He practically up-rooted a hurdle on the way to winning at Kempton and was brought down in his diverted target race, the Fred Winter Hurdle.

I am not convinced that he is in love with this game and the one that catches my eye is the grey Fair Loch. He has only had four races for Karl Burke but he impressed me when finishing third to First Mohican at Doncaster. Alan King had high hopes for the winner at the time and Fair Loch was bowling along on the bridle alongside two from home.

Things have not quite gone so well since but he has come up against some decent novices in Oscar Hoof and Yorkist. If Burke has him in good shape for his seasonal reappearance, he could go in at a decent price. Tidal Way was backed as if defeat was out of the question last time for Charlie Longsdon and he was going well when unseating at the seventh flight. That was a costly error and punters will be hoping to retrieve their cash with interest on Wednesday. He should go well but it was only a Bangor handicap and this looks tougher.

Tips

Fair Loch 3.25 Wetherby @8-1 Betfair

Fort Worth 4.35 Wetherby @3-1 Betfair

Wetherby Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Rowland Meyrick Chase is the feature event on the Boxing Day card at Wetherby. The ante-post favourite is Sydney Paget who has also been entered in the Welsh National and Paddy Power Chase over the coming days. Presumably Donald McCain has decided to take up this engagement and has left him in at Chepstow only as a precaution.

He was an easy winner at Haydock last time and the handicapper has put him up 12lbs as a result. Sydney Paget looks slightly unreliable as he wins his races easily but cannot seem to follow up. He often leads in his races and it may be that he has settled down a bit as he has got older and is no longer as headstrong.

His closest pursuer at Haydock was Silver By Nature who was being prepared for the Coral Welsh National by Lucinda Russell. Unfortunately the popular grey met with a fatal accident at home last weekend, a devastating blow to the Scottish trainer and connections.

There would be no more popular winner at Wetherby than his stable companion Nuts N Bolts. The seven-year-old was also a Welsh National entry but Russell decided that a three and three-quarter mile slog in the mud would be asking too much and has opted to run him here.

He won on the same day as Sydney Paget despite a couple of jumping errors. Horses that run well at Haydock can usually cope with Wetherby’s big fences and he looks the value bet at around 5-1. He is up 9lbs for his latest victory but still has a decent racing weight against several out-of-form opponents.

Cloudy Too won very easily at Carlisle but found the Hennessy Gold Cup a bit too hot last time. He should run better in this smaller field. Alvarado’s Cheltenham form has worked out quite well but connections have voiced concerns about the soft ground. If it dries out a little he must also come into the equation.

I have plenty of respect for Cape Tribulation who is a Grade 1 chaser at his best. He prefers to sit at the back of the field and pick his way through on the bridle but he needs to show a little more before he can be backed with confidence.

I was very surprised that David Pipe took Junior back to Aintree after his unhappy experience in the Grand National. Fortunately he returned unscathed, pulling up when he’d had enough. He also needs to prove that he still retains the old spark.

Nuts N Bolts at 5-1 Bet365, BetVictor