GG tipster Andrew Mount reveals his list of eyecatchers from the past week’s action.
Find out which runners he wants to keep onside below, alongside bet365‘s new customer offer of £50 in Free Bets when you deposit and bet £10.
ANNSAM (eighth, 3m handicap chase, Ascot, Saturday, October 29th)
I always oppose ANNSAM when he’s fresh, so was slightly concerned to see him well supported for the 3m Grade 3 Beateaux London Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot last Saturday. Backed from 10-1 into 7-1, he made the early running before weakening from three out and finishing 21 lengths behind the winner. His seasonal debut record now reads 56F48 (0-5) and he’ll be of particular interest in December/January as his record in those two months stands at 51111 (4-5), improving to 111 (3-3) in handicap company with the wins at 14-1, 7-1 and 9-4.
COUNTERACT (6th, 2m4f handicap chase, Plumpton, Monday, October 31st)
COUNTERACT was being chased along from an early stage in the Tie The Knot Wedding Catering Handicap Chase and eventually came home last of the six finishers, just over 55 lengths behind the winner. It’s possible that he’s going to prove best in the spring – his two wins came at Wincanton in late March and over today’s course and distance in mid-April – and he’s worth bearing in mind next year.
FAUSTUS (fifth, 5f handicap, Nottingham, Wednesday, October 26th)
FAUSTUS made the running into the headwind and helped to set it up for the closers, doing well to hold on for a 40-1 fifth behind runners described by the Racing Post as ‘dwelt start…travelled strongly in rear’, ‘midfield in centre of group’, ‘dwelt start, midfield in centre of group’ and ‘midfield in centre of group’. Robert Cowell’s four-year-old is now just one from 13 on turf and might appreciate the return to Tapeta, having recorded form figures of 123133 (2-6) on that surface.
GOLDEN APOLLO (fourth, 6f handicap, Southwell, Friday, October 28th)
GOLDEN APOLLO has a poor record immediately following a win and, from stall 1, I was happy to take him on in the 6f Fallon’s Fancies Expert Tips By Bet UK Handicap. He looked in trouble after blowing the start, but Tim Easterby’s 4-1 shot made life uncomfortable for layers when finishing to good effect towards the far side. However, the line came too soon, and he had to settle for a half-length fourth of ten. The winner (‘prominent, pressed leader from 2f out’), runner-up (‘in touch with leaders’) and third (‘disputed leader’) were prominent throughout and he can bounce back in the near future, perhaps at Doncaster this Saturday.
KING OF THE SOUTH (5th, 1m4f Listed race, Kempton, Monday, October 31)
Tapeta expert KING OF THE SOUTH ran as though the outing – his first for just over seven months – were needed when contesting the 1m4f Raven Roofing Floodlit Stakes at Kempton on Monday, finishing fifth. His record on Polytrack now reads 533265 (0-6) and he’s best judged on his Tapeta figures of 1122131114 (6-10). He’ll be winning soon at Newcastle, Southwell or Wolverhampton.
NO NEWS (non-runner, 7f nursery, Wolverhampton, Saturday, October 29th)
NO NEWS (stall 11 of 12) was pulled out of the 7f nursery with a self-certificate, though it was possibly because of his poor wide draw. He’d run poorly over 8.6f here on his nursery handicap debut (16-5f) but was due to run in first-time cheekpieces this time and could well bounce back in the coming weeks.
PANIC ATTACK (seventh, 3m handicap hurdle, Cheltenham, Saturday, October 29th)
I ran out of room to discuss PANIC ATTACK last week, but I want to revisit the 3m Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle in which she could only finish seventh of 15. David Pipe’s six-year-old was widely tipped but she has a modest record when racing against male rivals, recording form figures of 004327 (0-6), compared to 12118321 (4-8) in mares’ only company. Look out for her when she’s next asked to race against her own sex.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets – Tuesday, November 1st
Top Tipster Andrew Mount aims to begin a new month with a bang, and has his selections for Tuesday’s racing. Back his selection with Sky Bet‘s new customer offer of £20 in Free Bets when you deposit and bet £10. Posted: 5:15pm October 31st (Odds correct at time of writing) SOUTHWELL 5.30TANTASTIC – 1pt e/w…
Mon 31 Oct 2022PORTSTORM (11th, 3m handicap hurdle, Clonmel, Thursday, October 27th)
PORTSTORM is clearly no star, having scored just once from 17 starts, but he tends to jump out to his left and hasn’t had many opportunities on left-handed tracks. He was always going to struggle in the www.grahamnorris.com Memorial Handicap Hurdle at right-handed Clonmel last Thursday, especially on his first run for seven months. He finished miles behind the winner in 11th of 13 but could surprise when next asked to race left-handed.
SO SMART (second, 5f handicap, Nottingham, Wednesday, October 26th)
The headwind made life difficult for pacesetters but 5-6 favourite SO SMART looked sure to defy a penalty for his comfortable Leicester win when going clear just before halfway in division two of the 5f Racing TV Extra Handicap. However, he was collared close home by 9-2 second favourite High Opinion, going down by a head. He was well clear of the third and can be supported next time.
WRENTHORPE (fourth, 5f handicap, Nottingham, Wednesday, October 26th)
Having managed to get on WRENTHORPE at 18-1 a couple of days before division one of the 5f Racing TV Extra Handicap and again at 9-2 the evening before the race, I was rubbing my hands in anticipation when he was sent off as 11-4 joint-favourite. However, the headwind put his forcing style at a disadvantage he was worn down in the final furlong, only losing out on second place close home. This run was worthy of an upgrade.