Top Tipster Andrew Mount gives one selection for Thursday’s racing, along with another Ante-Post tip for the Cheltenham Festival.
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Posted: 6.10pm March 8th (Odds correct at time of writing)
3.40 Thurles – DYLAN LOMBARDY (1pt E/W 5 places – 9/2 generally)
They went quick front in the course and distance ladies handicap hurdle won by Port Rashid on February 23rd and the race was set up for the closers, with the winner, third, fourth, fifth and sixth all came from midfield or further back. Runner-up DYLAN LOMBARDY helped to force the strong early gallop and his half-length second of 18 was worthy of a major upgrade. That effort took his career score to 0-14, which is an obvious concern, but this is a weak contest, and it will be disappointing if he isn’t in the frame.
ANTE POST CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIP
4.50pm Cheltenham (Grand Annual – Wednesday 15th March ) – SAINT SEGAL (1pt E/W – 14/1 Bet365, SkyBet + 888Sport NRNB)
Connections of the Jane Williams-trained SAINT SEGAL were concerned about the prospect of good ground for next week’s Grand Annual Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival but with rain/snow falling on watered going it should be slow enough for the five-year-old. He ran with credit in the Fred Winter at this meeting last year, finishing tenth of 21 despite pulling very hard in a first-time tongue-tie and his full record over trips of about two miles reads 12106112 (4-8), improving to 112 (2-3) over fences only, with the defeat by just half a length at Doncaster on late January when the ground was quicker than preferred and the winner – Malystic – got first run. He’s young to be tackling a race of this nature but five of the 13 five-year-olds to run this century made the frame (8-1 winner, places at 16-1, 11-1, 7-1 and 3-1) and the expected number of winners from that sample was only 0.96.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
3.40 Thurles – DYLAN LOMBARDY (1pt E/W 5 places – 9/2 generally)
ANTE POST CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIP
4.50pm Cheltenham (Grand Annual – Wednesday 15th March ) – SAINT SEGAL (1pt E/W – 14/1 Bet365, SkyBet + 888Sport NRNB)