greek1971

DICEY REILLY has some excellent form in Class 4 races, winning 4 decent races last year between April and July. He was probably exposed when stepping up to Class 2 level on his last run way back at the end of July but that was his sole test at that level and he may just have had enough racing by then. He has shown he can win off a long lay off and seems to be a summer jump horse. Today he is obviously well enough regarded to compete at Listed level and at 100/1 in a 6-horse race he is our second big-price pick today! Sean Bowen takes the reigns for the tenth time, will it be eleventh time lucky?!

250/1 in a 6-horse race! SOMETHING GOLDEN is an exposed maiden having raced 12 times without a win so what on earth are we doing?! Out of those 12 runs, she has been placed 4 times and she did win a point-to-point earlier this year. Its still very ordinary form, but its not 'absolute-no-hoper' form. For me she is fourth best and the three in front of her are OK but they're no world-beaters. Small fields like this often throw up weird results too. I don't know much about the jockey, but she claims a 7lb allowance which is another little tipple in the right direction. The chance of a win or second place is slim, but if I hadn't seen the odds, I'd mark her up as a 33/1 chance so 250/1 is screaming for a small EW wager!

Annoyingly, another 8-runner field reduced to 7 (so only 2 places on the EW). BERTIES BALLET ran well in a decent Class 1 Grade 2 last time. Today's race is big drop in class and he is over-priced at 20/1. Up against the two Mullins horses at the head of the market but he has the form to win this.

Another maiden hurdle. The three market leaders have shown glimpses of form, some in higher class races than this, but they have either performed badly also and are beginning to look exposed. BLUE CLOVER was a modest bumper horse but ran a great race on hurdle debut last April finishing second in a stronger race than this. A month later, she attempted 2m 4f in another hot race but pulled-up. 327 days off may put some people off but she ran well on debut so that doesn't seem to be an issue. Back down to 2 miles today and in the capable hands of Sean Quinlan she rates a good each-way bet. Just a mention also for DORCAS ROAD (100/1), Lucinda Russel's horse was right up there disputing the lead in her 2m 4f hurdle debut in November before fading quickly at the 2 mile point. If she does the same today she could make the podium.....or maybe even win!

Maiden hurdle races by their very nature will rarely have many quality horses. This race is no exception, even the odds-on favourite, All Authorised, is making his 7th attempt at winning a hurdle race! Second in the market, American Land, ran well on debut but that was back in 2022, two runs this season over hurdles have been poor. ELECTRIC JET on the otherhand is relatively unexposed having only ran twice over hurdles. His debut run in November was decent finishing a close 3rd and his second run in January was going OK until falling at the last. In the hands of Gavin Sheehan today he has every chance of winning this.

This Class 2 two-and-a-half mile novice hurdle will take some winning with some decent types lining up. At the likely starting odds though, LEADING CHOICE (50/1) looks way over-priced. Last time out he possibly found the heavy ground not to his liking but still managed to finish 5 lengths 3rd behind a previous hurdle winner and a Grade 2 horse. Prior to that run, he won a decent Class 4 race at Wetherby beating two subsequent winners. That performance was even more impressive when you consider that was after a 448 day lay-off, he will be more race-fir for this and improvement can be expected. Trained by Miss Nicky Martin, her stable is small but in very good form at present, and partnered by Sean Houlihan who steered him to the Wetherby win, he has a live chance of out running his big odds.

An interesting race where cases can be made for several runners. TOUCH OF A DRAGON (18/1) showed massive improvement last time out on only his second hurdle start finishing a close second in a good quality race. Hammond's stable are in good form and he has a great chance here.

A decent looking Class 3 maiden hurdle race starts the card at Ascot today. The principals look OK but this being a maiden hurdle by definition means that none have won before and few have experience on the good ground conditions today. THE WILMSLOW BOY (66/1) is a tentative pick, unexposed having only raced twice, both times on good ground against decent quality opposition at this level. He ran well on both occasions and could find improvement today.