Top Tipster Daryl Carter looks ahead to Wednesday action across the cards in search of more winners.
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Posted: 6pm October 25th (Odds correct at time of writing)
2.10 Nottingham – Blue De Vega (0.5pt e/w – 40/1 Bet365, 28/1 William Hill, 25/1 generally)
It’s hard to be overly positive about BLUE DE VEGA, who has looked in the doldrums for a while, but it may be worth taking a chance on him today at big odds re-fitted with the cheek-pieces. I have been watching him all season, wondering when they would stick this headgear back on and today it returns combined with the tongue tie for the first time on turf since scoring on heavy ground at Leicester last October. He blitzed Four Adaay in that contest when ridden prominently, and there may be a switch of tactics coming for this horse. He was held up here 14 days ago behind the subsequent winner and today’s favourite Fast Response, but he was only beaten four lengths and had to wait for a run. His other effort in this headgear combination was a one-length fourth to Mondammej at Wolverhampton when denied a clear run and better than the result. You have to go all the way back to 2020 for his other runs in this combination, and the return to heavy ground today sees his form figures of 1133 – the two wins came in October and one in this headgear combo. He will likely need a few of these to underperform, but that’s still possible with this ground not to everyone’s liking, and Fast Response turned out for the fourth time this month.
2.45 Nottingham – Wrenthorpe (1.5pt win – 9/2 generally)
WRENTHORPE has been poor in all three outings this term, but the old adage horses for courses applies to him more so than any other horse, with four of his five wins coming at this venue. His form figures when running here on soft/heavy ground read 31111, and the third was a defeat to Group 1 performer Raasel in November of last year when rated 94. He has fallen in the handicap to a rating of 69 and is now back in Class 5 company and returns to this venue for the first time since. Should he be sparked back to life for the return to Nottingham, he will take some stopping here with many unproven on the ground.
3.45 Chepstow – Playful Saint (2pt win – 11/4 Bet365, 5/2 WillHill, 9/4 generally)
I was hoping the market would be in favour of Sonigino here, but he was exposed last term and then well positioned in a very slowly run affair at Chepstow’s open meeting and just clung on to a couple of poorly placed rivals. This is a deeper race than that, and I will be laying him heavily on the Exchange with cut in the ground today. Mack The Man has a good record fresh, but Zambezi Fix had his measure at Sandown and looks only fairly treated for all he may need deeper ground than this and his first run of the season. PLAYFUL SAINT did remarkably well to win on the British debut for Dan Skelton at Wetherby, having pulled extremely hard and been held up off a slow pace. That form looks strong, and he has proven to go well fresh, and he is open to vast improvement on that evidence. He finished with a wound to his hock, so there’s a good chance he was even better than the bare result there. Mcgowan’s Pass, who finished in third that day ties a line into Zambezi Fix, and Mack The Man and Dan Skelton will likely have him right here.
2.00 Chepstow – Pikar (1pt win – 7/2 Bet 365, 11/4 generally)
PIKAR never went on last season but had to endure a couple of falsely run races in very tough company, and this looks like a golden opportunity to get off the mark over hurdles. This second season Novice should have learned plenty from last term, and his debut run when a length second to Knappers Hills sets an almighty stiff task for the newcomers. He backed that up when running well and in contention before falling at Cheltenham behind I Like To Move It before a lacklustre display at Haydock, which could have been down the fall at Cheltenham. There are plenty of promising newcomers in here who should keep his price honest, and he makes plenty of appeal returned to this venue fresh.
Daryl Carter’s Best Bets
2.10 Nottingham – Blue De Vega (0.5pt e/w – 40/1 Bet365, 28/1 William Hill, 25/1 generally)
2.45 Nottingham – Wrenthorpe (1.5pt win – 9/2 generally)
3.45 Chepstow – Playful Saint (2pt win – 11/4 Bet365, 5/2 WillHill, 9/4 generally)
3.45 Chepstow – Playful Saint (2pt win – 11/4 Bet365, 5/2 WillHill, 9/4 generally)
2.00 Chepstow – Pikar (1pt win – 7/2 Bet 365, 11/4 generally)