PLACESPOTTER - 3.40 Worthy Farm - 1 point win saver @ / Theeaglehaslanded - 1/2 point each way @ / 2 Goodbye Dancer 1/2 point each way @ 14/1
(Skybet / Ladbrokes / PP /BetVic / Coral / Fred - odds to 4th - so use if at all possible - places will be recorded to 4th place)
Paul Nicholls runs a couple here and WORTHY FARM looks a horse going places and is a worthy favourite. Form going right handed at Taunton is not necessarily going to transfer to Cheltenham but the manner f that win was compelling and worth a win saver. I then spent 30 mins or so looking at the likes of Keeper Hill and two who have yet to conclusively prove stamina in Sizing Granite and Lygon Rock and those last pair could be real dangers IF and the operative word is IF staying up the hill. At the prices I want to take them both on.
Towards the head of the market is Newlands horse AARON LAD and rightly so after a decent run here and then a win last time out, his price looks about right but a long look at that seasonal debut here in October throws up a compelling form case for THEEAGLEHASLANDED and to a lesser extent GOODBYE DANCER. Aaron Lad finished 10 lengths ahead of Theeagleshaslanded that day but was carrying 10.5 with a 5lbs Claim whilst Eagle was carrying 11.10 - today AL carries 11.9 with a 5lbs Claim and Eagle carries 11.8 with a 7lbs Claim - that is a weight turn around in excess of 20lbs yet either the market has failed to spot it, or ignored it. You could argue Eagle is not the horse it was in 2016, but watching those 2 runs back this season, it needed the first and the second race was not run to suit. I think given that incredible weight turnaround you can't NOT have a bet on it and in the same context and form with Eagle GOODBYE DANCER is equally well treated and interesting Sam stays on it.