Thursday 20th December
HEXHAM 2.00 on known heavy ground form over this kind of trip (2 miles 7 1/2 furlongs) the obvious 3 candidates are all familiar to us - Achill Road Boy; Agent Louise and TURTLE CASK. The market indicates that MISFITS and ACHILL ROAD BOY are most likely and I would not put anyone off a F/Cast including those pair but we will have a small bet on TURTLE CASK whose best runs are on Heavy going off a mark under 90 and who ran better than finishing position suggests in a Class 4 last time out and this is a slightly easier Class 5 race. (T/Cast perm would be MISFITS - ACHILL ROAD BOY and TURTLE CASK)
Hexham 2.30 The only one we really fancy in here is the ex Anthony Honeyball horse ROYAL SALUTE it has yet to find form up north but is in decent hands and the win for Honeyball over an extended 3 miles a few years back in wet conditions looks a cracking bit of form in the context of a poor race.
Down to Exeter where there has been torrential rain over the past few weeks and a deluge in the past 48 hours, no doubt that it will be very testing going.
The 2.40 is probably the most competitive race of the day and many have a shout, TACTICAL MANOUVRES is one we tipped last time and should run better here but not totally 100% convinced in the Going. BIG TIME FRANK and COLMERS HILL rightly head the market and again look F/Cast and T/Cast material and the likes of Some Finish and Colmers Hill could pop up too. The pair that we will take against the field though are both locally trained and look to have ideal conditions and may be prepared for a nice day out and early Christmas treat for local connections QUINTO for "the Frosts"; has had a couple of runs and looks primed for this. GOODGIRLTHERESA has 3 miles P2P form and Kayley Woolacott pitches it in here off a nice mark and the proven stamina and some form in wet suggests a decent run can be expected. The top 2 will be dangers so I will have a few Tricast lines randomly perming those 2 (Big Time Frank and Colmers Hill with the 2 Mentions QUINTO and GOODGIRLTHERESA)
Finally at Exeter in the 3.40 MAUNA KEA looks one of the stronger favourites of the day and has to be respected and Kayf Charmer was a surprise and impressive winner here last time, again obvious T/C material. Echo Watt and Amzac Magic are dangers but a Yard who really should be doing better but has finally sprung in to a bit of life is that of Johnny Farrelly and his MARVELLOUS MONTY has some decent place form at this trip, and indeed further and has handled heavy Going in the past and could be a sporting each way punt.
(There will be enhanced Odds available on both Exeter races even if the current 17 and 18 runner fields are reduced by non runners so shop around the usual suspects like Ladbrokes / PP / Sky and Fred to see who will enhance to 4th even if below 16 runners)