Top tipster Daryl Carter struck with 2pt selection Balco Coastal on Boxing Day and gives five selections for Tuesday’s action.
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Posted: 7:50am December 27th (Odds correct at time of writing)
2.45 Wetherby – Malystic (1pt win – 10/1 generally)
MALYSTIC is a whopping double-figure price here and returned to the scene of a comfortable 11-length victory in 2020, and that makes little sense given the promise he showed at Kelso in October. He is a classy horse on his day when everything falls right and today looks like optimal conditions. With good in the going description, his form figures read 024222121, and he has only had the nine starts over fences for which he has finished first or second on six occasions. There was plenty of hype around him at Cheltenham despite that course unlikely to suit his style, and he is open to significant improvement. He was found to have a dirty scope at Cheltenham, which is a viable excuse for his below-par effort there, and he is a horse that could have more to offer. Eclair D’Anay, Friend Or Foe, Cornerstone Ladand Cheddleton all looked held by the handicapper, and No Risk Des Flos is in far deeper waters today. Heartbreak Kid was readily held by Cheddleton last term, and the selection is an unknown quantity today.
2.50 Chepstow – Gats And Co (0.5pt E/W 6 places – 80/1 Bet365, 66/1 generally)
GATS AND CO is a huge price for this assignment, and probably rightly so but he has some strong form to his name to be running off of a rating of just 123 and the fact that eight of the last ten winners of this race were carrying 10st8 or less is encouraging to his chances. There are only five horses that fit this bill but none other with a course record of 75% (3-4), so he makes plenty of appeal from the statistical standpoint. Exeter was never going to suit him last time with his tendency to jump to the left and there is a good chance he needed his outing here back in October (the first for 104 days), given his record after a break read 334PU7. He is likely to be given a prominent ride, and he stays extremely well, so he must have every chance in this contest despite his huge price tag and with bookies paying six places, he is an each-way player.
3.09 Kempton – Smarty Wild (2pt E/W – 14/1 Bet365, 11/1 generally)
I’ve been waiting for SMARTY WILD to return to this venue and had to hold myself back from backing him at Ascot on seasonal return because I know he needs the run every year. His seasonal return form figures read 5300. He needs to go right-handed, which his form figures of 2F233313364411113 suggest, but it was a promising return run behind a course specialist on return and he finished clear of the remainder doing best of those from off the pace (other than the winner). His course record now reads F2316 (the last when not far behind Our Power), and he is well-handicapped on the best of his form from last term. There’s a good pot in him off of this rating, and he makes stacks of appeal. I’d be confident in saying he would have beaten Flegmatic here the last term before coming down. Belargus is one I am waiting for at the start of the spring, so keep him on side after the new year, but I do think Flegmatic is probably our biggest danger.
3.25 Chepstow – Oscar Elite (1pt win – 7/1 generally)
OSCAR ELITE has a 2-2 100% record here, and this is a drop into much calmer waters after running better than the bare result in the Coral Gold Cup, so he may be worth chancing to get back to winning ways. He was an excellent third in the Ultima Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival last term, and while he hasn’t got going this season, the return to softer ground and this venue may spark him back to life. He has the form to be seriously competitive in this contest, and he makes most appeal at the prices regardless of his two efforts this season.
3.40 Kempton – No Ordinary Joe (1.5pt win – 9/2 generally)
This can go to NO ORDINARY JOE, who has threatened a big performance, and the time to catch him may be fresh. This is far calmer waters than he has been used to, and the time figure of his third behind West Cork in the Greatwood Hurdle in November last year is hard to ignore in this contest. He is well handicapped on that evidence, and the PU at Ascot next time may be worth forgiving given the strength of that. His form figure off a break now read 311, and this is so much weaker he is hard to ignore at the head of affairs at a very appealing price. He should be more 11/4 than 9/2.
Dary Carter’s Best Bets
2.45 Wetherby – Malystic (1pt win – 10/1 generally)
2.50 Chepstow – Gats And Co (0.5pt E/W 6 places – 80/1 Bet365, 66/1 generally)
3.09 Kempton – Smarty Wild (2pt E/W – 14/1 Bet365, 11/1 generally)
3.25 Chepstow – Oscar Elite (1pt win – 7/1 generally)
3.40 Kempton – No Ordinary Joe (1.5pt win – 9/2 generally)