Friday, October 22, 2021

A tentative suggestion on Cheltenham's Saturday Showcase card (2021)

A curtailed post this week - I've only just returned from a trip to the Ludlow races on Thursday. A number of us took advantage of the pre-booking offer: entrance, racecard and a free pint of beer in the Ludlow Brewery marquee for the princely sum of just £16.00.

Kudos to Kevin Morley who tipped up Key To The Moon in the Weekender, the 8/1 winner of the first. Unfortunately, due to travel issues, I was still in the car park as the course commentator described in some considerable detail the closing stages; Nigel Twiston Davies' charge successfully held the challenge of 8/13 favourite Full Of Light.

Golden Taipan and Just The Man ensured we left the course with a bit more moolah than we came in with; Gouet Des Bruyeres and Dynali both ran well in defeat. Sustained vespertine sustenance was subsequently sampled at The French Pantry followed by further postprandial refreshment in a number of the town's hostelries.

The result is I haven't done the spadework for tomorrow's card at Cheltenham. 

That said, Straw Fan Jack has been on the radar since winning a novice hurdle at Aintree last December. In March he was beaten one and a half lengths by Pasvolsky at Kempton. 

He faces no easy task burdened with top weight in the opener (1.45) but underfoot conditions will suit, he's in with every chance on Racing Post ratings and his running style should help at this track. 

Of course, fitness has to be taken on trust but with Sky Bet offering 12/1 and paying six places I'm going to take a small each-way interest in Straw Fan Jack.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

NHS Vaccinating Heroes Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

RTG,Horse,WC
158,STRAW FAN JACK(GB),15.9
151,INGLEBY HOLLOW(GB),13.1
148,PASVOLSKY(IRE),9.2
146,TIMBERMAN(IRE),9.1
144,SARASOTA STAR(IRE),8.7
144,UNCLE HENRY(IRE),7.8
148,NORDIC COMBINED(IRE),7
145,BASHFUL BOY(IRE),6.8
146,BLACKO(FR),6.7
143,SAMBA DANCER(FR),5.8
141,SAMARRIVE(FR),5
143,SMALL BAD BOB(IRE),4.8
132,SAN PEDRO(IRE),0.2

Straw Fan Jack clear top on my system ratings but it does come with a question mark as to whether or not he was flattered by his 30L Aintree win on very testing ground, whether he’s fit and if he’ll like a big field handicap.

So,on balance, the system is opting for Ingleby Hollow as the more solid selection [11/1 4 places 1/5 odds].

Good luck!

TW

GeeDee said...

Thanks for providing your ratings, TW.

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Well done Straw Fan Jack was well supported and ran a cracking race...

TW

GeeDee said...

Blacko (12/1) bolted before the start, dumping jockey Isabel Williams and then running loose before eventually being caught. Unsurprisingly he was withdrawn and a new market was formed; the Rule 4 deduction on bets placed before the withdrawal was 5p in the £.

Selection Straw Fan Jack was priced around the 16/1 mark before the withdrawal; in the reformed market he was priced up at 17/2 and went off at 8/1.

The start of the race was delayed by five minutes - Sean Houlihan did well to ensure Straw Fan Jack raced prominently next to the inside rail through the race.

Coming to the final flight, Samba Dancer (100/30) took up the running but the selection battled gamely up the hill to eventually go down a head, conceding 21 pounds to the winner.

The pair finished one and a half lengths ahead of Timberman (14/1) in third with Sarasota Star (17/2) fourth, Pasvolsky (40/1) fifth and Ingleby Hollow (18/1) sixth.

Just four and a quarter lengths covered the first six home.