Today's tip races-:

 

Hereford 2.53 Handicap Chase - Class 5 - 2 miles 5 furlongs - 12 run - Good to Soft

 

This is a tight market at the top end and looks to be a tightly contested race. Greenways makes Chase debut with a P2P background and form figures of 1-3-4-3 over Hurdles, the price looks skinny though compared with some more experienced if exposed Chasers. Boys Of Wexford a runner up over Course and Distance last time out should be thereabouts again but offers little each way value at the likely price around 5/1. Everyonesacritic is solid if unspectacular and very capable of running into a place here. 

 

At the higher priced end of the market both Kingcormac who ran with sme promise last time off a long break and MYSTIC MAN who lurks on what is becoming a very competitive mark look capable of out running their Odds and if you wanted a small side flutter on one, it would be MYSTIC MAN.

 

My clear top 2 rated though are JIKALA for Venetia Williams, a Course winner over Hurdles and one who just gives the impression of steadily getting to a position of fitness and handicap mark from which it can strike and KINGS JUSTICE who has been a runner up over Course and Distance off a mark of 81 last time it ran here and who looks well handicapped and poised off a mark of 85 with a 3lbs Claimer enlisted (Robin)

 

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Hereford 3.28 - Handicap Hurdle - Class 5 - 2 miles 5 and 1/2 furlongs - 13 run - Good to Soft

 

There are a handful here very tightly packed at the top end of the betting in Ironed out who is upped in trip, Hellfire Princess who returns off a break of over a year but with a previously progressive profile and Olivia Kate, second and third the last twice but off a penalised mark. All are in the 4/1- 5/1 price range and impossible to back confidently to win but at those Odds skinny each way value.

 

Miss Pearl ran well at Bangor on Friday and would be a real danger if repeating that effort but my focus is on 3 horses at nicer each way prices.

 

GATA BAN is in the TRACKER after a good run on Boxing Day, the drop back in trip seems eminently sensible and they have waited for some decent ground and I'll be disappointed if this one isn't winning today. At bigger Odds I expect a bold run from EL FABIENNE who has shown real promise as a juvenile, makes Handicap Hurdle debut here off what might be a lenient mark and very much one to TRACK and follow onwards.

 

If you wanted a smaller poke each way to enhanced 4th place on MARMALADE TIME then I think this one might come on for a recent seasonal debut and one also to TRACK as was very promising last Spring and capable of winning races at this level (Advisor).

 

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Wetherby 4.13 - Handicap Hurdle - Class 3 - 2 miles 3 and 1/2 furlongs - 13 run - Soft

 

A number of these come back to Hurdles after disappointing runs over Fences and a few more exposed Hurdlers will not be lightly beaten.

 

At the top of the mark Il Va De Soi looks to be a bit in the grip of the handicapper now and Berties Bullet is upped in trip and penalised 5lbs for an all out win at Haydock, so may be a vulnerable favourite. Highlands Legacy was an impressive runner up of 15 on handicap debut at Wincanton last time but has been picked up by the market and this would be a tougher track and left handed too.

 

Range and Persian Time come back to Hurdles with realistic hurdle mark but may need a confidence booster, American Sniper is definitely better at 3 miles than this trip and has the feel of a horse who has been sent for a fitness run and to get a few more pounds back off the handicapper, I've added it to my TRACKER as I will be very interested when it next runs over 3 miles with a few more pounds off its back. Herbiers is also back Hurdling but more a Spring type and another we will track closely.

 

Dan Skelton delivered a couple of winners for us recently and the veteran WEST TO THE BRIDGE actually takes a drop in Class here and off a reducing mark, I have a view that the market has ignored it a little and at double figure Odds I cannot resist a poke. One who is returning to Hurdles who I also think IS good value is RICH SPIRIT, Sue Smith has her string running far better in recent weeks and this one has a hurdle win mark of 120, ran back over hurdles last time and that initial sighter back should give it an advantage over some of the others coming back to Hurdles for the first time in a while here and off a mark of 116 with a capable 7lbs Claimer in the saddle looks a very decent sporting each way punt to me (Northern)

 

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TRACKERS

 

Hereford 2.18 Puddlesinthepark

Hereford 3.28 Gata Ban

Dundalk 5.40 Church Mountain