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Saturday, March 15, 2008
THE VALUE BETTING COLUMN EVERY SATURDAY Lingfield Park, March 15, 2008 4:20 pm £15,000 CORTAFLEX HANDICAP (0-95) 1m 4f (Polytrack) Going - Standard for the best odds go to www.BritOdds.com BP= the best price at the time of writing 1) (9) 2950-1 John Terry Amanda Perrett 5-9-06 Tom Queally Won off 89 narrowly over course and distance on February 2. Gone up 2lb. Not the most reliable sort. BP= 4/1 2) (1) 22-262 Polish Power Stan Moore 8-9-06 Liam Keniry Ran better when tried to make all last time at Wolverhampton when second to Millville. Previously held up. Just held by John Terry on a line through Millville. BP= 9/1 3) (8) 6111-3 Grande Caiman Richard Hannon 4-9-05 Richard Hughes Well held by Millville when third last time. Beat Polish Power by a length in December and is 6lb worse off. Has it to do on the face of it. BP= 5/2 4) (7) 1-2334 Sgt Schultz Stan Moore 5-9-04 Tolley Dean(3) Very consistent - better at 12 furlongs than 10 over which he ran last time. Thanks to his rider’s claim he is 3lb better off for half a length with John Terry. BP= 7/1 5) (5) 864-39 Murfreesboro Karl Burke 5-9-01 William Buick(3) Has been racing over nine furlongs and lesser trips - forget. BP= 33/1 6) (3) 3-3315 Tilapia Sir Mark Prescott 4-9-01v1 Seb Sanders Disappointing last time - no response when hard driven over course and distance. Previously won very modest over 11 furlongs at Kempton. Worth opposing. BP= 8/1 7) (2) 649-13 Rationale NON-RUNNER 8) (6) -35642 Fusili Nick Littmoden 5-8-12b Neil Callan Well handicapped. 8lb better off for a length and a quarter with Polish Power. Seems to finish her races well but does not win very often. Second last time over course and distance and the winner has won again. Trainer in form. Excellent value. BP= 9/1 9) (4) 8090-4 Regional Counsel Karl Burke 33 4-8-10 Greg Fairley Fourth over 10 furlongs, not beaten far, two outings ago but since then pulled up in a hurdle race. BP= 25/1 SUMMARY FUSILI is excellent value each-way. CODEBREAKER UTTOXETER, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2008 3:30pm £100,000 John Smith’s Midlands Grand National Handicap Chase, 4m 1.5f Past trends: 17 of the last 18 winners were placed in the first three at least once earlier in the campaign 16 of the last 18 winners had raced between four and eight times earlier in the campaign 16 of the last 18 winners were aged between seven and 10 14 of the last 18 winners carried 11st or less to victory 12 of the last 18 winners finished in the first three on their last outing A total of 18 runners go to post for the 2008 John Smith’s Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter, which could provide some fascinating pointers for the Aintree version in April, and Codebreaker will soon have them whittled down to more manageable levels.
IRISH DOMINATED FESTIVAL CULMINATES IN STUNNING GOLD CUP WIN FOR DENMAN A Cheltenham Festival dominated by Irish Thoroughbreds culminated yesterday in the ultimate prize on the final day, the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. In one of the most eagerly awaited races of all time, Denman (IRE) galloped his rivals into submission under a fantastic ride from jockey Sam Thomas to lead home a 1-2-3 for trainer Paul Nicholls. ‘The Tank’ jumped flawlessly and, though appearing to tire at that famous Cheltenham hill, nothing else in the field was going to catch him as he powered home. Denman was returned the 9-4 winner with Kauto Star second at 10-11 favourite and then Neptune Collonges at 25-1. Nicholls said: “Just brilliant. It was a great performance and good for the whole team, I thought going out on the second circuit Denman was going really well. He’s just good, there you are.” Winning rider Sam Thomas said: “I don't know what to say. I'm absolutely lost for words, what a horse. It’s a job to know how quick he’s going. He travels and jumps, he’s some horse. He got a bit tired but he wasn’t doing a tap in front.” Denman was sold privately to owners Paul Barber and Harry Findlay to join Paul Nicholls, a big fan of Irish point-to-pointers, and has only been beaten once in 14 starts under Rules. His only defeat came when second to Nicanor in the 2006 Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but other than that he has an unblemished record and has won all his nine starts over fences, including last season’s Grade 1 Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, this season’s Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and also he carried top weight to win the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at the start of this season. Prior to the Gold Cup, trainer Paul Nicholls said it would take something special to beat the champion Kauto Star and Denman’s performance was truly a highlight for a generation. The final day of the festival got off to a thrilling start with an Irish bred 1-2-3 in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle Grade 2. The Donald McCain Jnr-trained Whiteoak (IRE) just held off a late challenge from Refinement (IRE) who was being driven home by Tony McCoy, with favourite Chomba Womba (IRE) back in third. Whiteoak is yet another Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale graduate to win at this year's festival, purchased by Ginger McCain in June 2006 for €25,000euros. McCain said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. Jason (Maguire) said she just thought she’d done enough but she’s had a look and gone again. To be honest, I didn’t think she was quite good enough to win this.” Irish success continued in the Grade 1 Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle where Celestial Gold’s (IRE) half brother Fiveforthree (IRE) made it a festival double for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh, who said: “He just made a little mistake at the second last and I had to use him to get him into the race. We thought he would stay because he is a half brother to Celestial Gold and by God, he did stay.” Further Grade 1 success came in the JCB Triumph Hurdle with Ruby Walsh once again producing a wonderful ride on Celestial Halo (IRE) to hold off the favourite Franchoek. The four-year-old son of Galileo was a smart performer on the flat, third to Soldier of Fortune in the Group 3 Chester Vase last season, and has now made it two out of three in his hurdling career. Owner Andy Stewart said: “I would like to have won any race at the Festival and the Triumph is very nice indeed. It is absolutely terrific. Alex Ferguson has just said well done and so have a lot of good friends.” Tiger Cry made it a memorable double for Davy Russell when winning the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup Grade 3. Purchased in the Tattersalls Ireland 2002 Derby Sale for €70,000euros, he brought his winning tally to four having been unlucky on his last few starts. Trainer Arthur Moore said: “It is great to come back and win the race. It is great for the owner, 84-year-old Chris Jones, who raced the mighty Klairon Davis. We were a shade worried about the easing ground but he had a great preparation for the race and David gave him a great ride.” It has been a wonderful week’s racing with Irish-bred horses winning nine of the 12 Grade 1 races staged and displaying the class and consistency which are the hallmarks of the Irish Thoroughbred. Not to mention the fact that 10 of the 18 winners who have been through the sales ring were sold at Irish sales! Make sure you contact Irish Thoroughbred Marketing to arrange your next visit to Ireland. Think Thoroughbred......Think Ireland! For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive |
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