GG tipster Andrew Mount reveals his list of eyecatchers from the past week’s racing. Check them out below alongside bet365‘s new customer offer of Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets.
EXELERATOR EXPRESS (fifth, 3m1f handicap chase, Aintree, Saturday, April 11)
Those GG Weekend Watch viewers who followed me in with an each-way bet on EXELERATIOR EXPRESS were denied a nice place return then Neil Mulholland’s 40-1 poke was fifth of the 14 runners. He jumped abysmally and often out to his right, doing well to complete the course in the circumstances. He has won left-handed but hasn’t had many opportunities on right-handed tracks, recording form figures of 212 (1-3), with the first defeat by a neck to Kap Auteuil (now rated 19lb higher) and the other behind Francky Du Berlais in the 16-runner Summer Plate at Market Rasen last summer. That race would be an obvious target again.
FOX HILL (eighth, 5f handicap, Pontefract, Monday, April 11)
The three shortest-priced runners from the three lowest draws filled the first three places in the 5f Class 2 handicap. All three were prominent throughout and the hold-up horses could never strike a meaningful blow. FOX HILL (stall 12) was outpaced in rear before keeping on in taking fashion towards the inside to finish just under nine lengths behind the winner, a big improvement on her Thirsk comeback run just 48 hours earlier. Eric Alston’s six-year-old has yet to score above Class 4 level and can be backed when dropped in grade, ideally in a small field.
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JOBESGREEN LAD (third, 2m3.5f novices’ handicap chase, Stratford, Sunday, April 10)
The Tom George-trained JOBESGREEN LAD, sent off as the 15-8 favourite, could only finish a 15-length third of seven but patient tactics are rarely effective at Stratford and he actually did well given in the circumstances. The winner and runner-up raced one-two virtually throughout and a bigger field will suit. His chase record in fields of 12 or more runners stands at 11 (2-2), as compared to form figures of 243 (0-3) in smaller line-ups.
LATIN FIVE (11th, 5f handicap, Pontefract, Monday, April 11)
Paul Midgley’s 40-1 shot LATIN FIVE, was well beaten on his return from wind surgery and a six-month break, trailing home more than 12 lengths behind the winner in 11th place. However, this run was no doubt needed (he was last of 13 on his comeback last term) and he’ll be of interest in small fields later this summer. His wins have come in fields of six and seven runners in July/August and he might be able to run up a sequence at a low level.
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MELLOW MAGIC (won, 1m3.5f handicap, Windsor, Monday, April 11)
Andrew Balding’s MELLOW MAGIC foiled the gamble on Gustav Holst, prevailing by half a length with almost three lengths back to the third. She settled better than in her final few starts last year, and the big field (12 ran) clearly helped in that regard. Her record in fields of ten or more runners now reads 321 (1-3), as compared to 22334 (0-5) in anything smaller. Be wary of her in a small field next time.
MERWEB (fifth, 1m4f handicap, Wolverhampton, Saturday, April 9)
MERWEB, an eyecatcher at Chelmsford on his stable debut nine days earlier, got no cover on the outside of the field in the 1m4f amateur riders’ handicap and raced keenly as a result. He was also much closer to the strong early pace than ideal in a race that was run to suit the closers and had nothing in reserve at the business end. He can be given another chance.
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MOPS GEM (non-runner, Chelmsford, Thursday, April 7)
MOPS GEM gets a tracker entry despite being a non-runner in the 7f Class 6 handicap at Chelmsford last Thursday. She was drawn in stall 12 and ‘NR BDC’ now goes next to her name (non-runner, bad draw certificate). She’s hardly prolific but this front-runner should be able to find another race, probably in a small field.
POKER MASTER (third, 2m2.5f handicap hurdle, Stratford, Sunday, April 10)
POKER MASTER’s three wins in February/March came on right-handed tracks, though it was the pace of the race rather than the left-handed venue that was the biggest factor in his five-length defeat at Stratford last Sunday. The winner made most of the running and the horses in second, fourth and fifth were also prominent, suggesting his third place was deserving of an uplift.
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TRALEE HILLS (fourth, 1m3.5f handicap, Windsor, Monday, April 11)
TRALEE HILLS was visored when rattling off a hat-trick last summer but the return of cheekpieces and market drift suggested his comeback outing would be needed. However, Simon Hodgson’s 16-1 shot ran a solid race in defeat, doing best of those to come from off the pace in fourth. He’s won twice on Polytrack but is clearly happiest on easy ground, recording form figures of 1108411124324 (5-13) on officially good to soft or softer going for a profit of £27.75 to a £1 level stake at SP. When returned to the track within a fortnight of his previous outing his record on slow turf improves to 111123 (4-6).
WASHINGTON (third, 2m handicap hurdle, Aintree, Friday, April 8)
WASHINGTON has often failed to settle in small-field contests but that wasn’t an issue in this 16-runner handicap hurdle. He travelled smoothly in rear but the pace held up this time and he could never quite get to Hacker Des Places and Severance. He looks capable of winning a big race given a suitably strong gallop.
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