Top tipster Andrew Mount has three bets at Hamilton and Stratford on Tuesday. Check out his selections below, which are backable via the Tote and their £10 welcome offer.
HORTZADAR – (3.50 Hamilton, 1.5pts each-way – 17/2)
HORTZADAR often finds trouble in big fields and did so again when mid-division at 80-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup on his latest start. He’s now 0-13 in fields of 12 or more runners for current trainer David O’Meara, compared to five from 12 in anything smaller for a profit of £13.90 to a £1 level stake at SP.
He faces just nine rivals at Hamilton on Tuesday where he looks set to encounter the strong pace that suits.
RUTHLESS ARTICLE – (5.30 Stratford, 2pts win – 100/30)
For a horse who has often received the comment ‘jumped left’ over hurdles it was no surprise to see Ruthless Article struggle on his chase debut at Ludlow last October where he repeated the tendency on his way to a 53-length second of three.
Another right-handed outing followed at Hereford a fortnight later where he travelled well until a bad blunder four out ended his chances. Rested over the winter, he returned in handicap hurdle company at Exeter in April where he again lost ground by jumping markedly out to his left, this time finishing a 31-length last of four.
He was the late market mover for a 2m4f novices’ chase at Aintree last time and never saw a rival on his way to a two-length success over the short-priced favourite Presentandcounting. His record left-handed for current trainer Rebecca Curtis now reads 91242116P1 (4-10), improving to 122111 (4-6) on sharp tracks. He has his ideal conditions again and this track will suit his prominent style.
SCARDURA – (6.00 Stratford, 1pt each-way – 7/1)
Stratford is a very different track to Worcester where El Borracho won last time and Oliver Greenall’s six-year-old might struggle to follow up. He could only finish fifth when the 2-1 favourite on his latest course visit, albeit over hurdles and I’m taking him on at short odds (13-8 favourite in places at the time of writing) today. Since the start of 2007, last-time out Worcester winners switching to Stratford have won only 12 of their 102 starts for a loss of £60.92 to a £1 level stake at SP.
The expected number of winners was 22.52 (A/E of 0.53) and laying these at Betfair SP would have yielded a profit in excess of 52% after commission. Second favourite Eskendesh (4-1) is 0-8 over fences and the one I prefer is pace angle SCARDURA, who finished a respectable third at Newton Abbot last time on his first start following wind surgery.
He stayed on well once headed, as though the surprise of being able to breath comfortably at the end of a race kicked in. progeny of Stowaway have a 12 from 31 record on their second run after wind surgery having made the frame the time before (38.7% strike-rate, +£5.04), improving to six from 11 over fences (+£9.63). Course expert Atlantic Storm should also go well and could be the one for the forecast.
Today’s Best Bets
Hortzadar – 1.5pts each-way – 3.50 Hamilton (17-2 William Hill)
Ruthless Article – 2pts win – 5.30 Stratford (100-30 bet365)
Scardura – 1pt each-way – 6.00 Stratford (7-1 bet365)
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