Matt Brocklebank picks out the best value bets ahead of Saturday's racing action at Uttoxeter and Kempton, featuring the Betfred Midlands Grand National.
Recommended bets: Saturday racing
1pt win Spookydooky in 3.35 Uttoxeter at 12/1
1pt win Keep In Line in 2.40 at Kempton at 20/1
Over-indulging at the all-you-can-eat buffet that is Cheltenham can leave one in a wide range of physical, psychological and financial states, but if it has simply left you hungry for more of the same, then you’re in luck.
Two consolation races designed for those who failed to make the cut in the Festival handicaps take centre stage at Kempton, but the Saturday feature is the Betfred Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter and Jonjo O’Neill is fancied to win it for the second time in his career courtesy of SPOOKYDOOKY.
He’s not quite in the same league as O’Neill’s 2010 hero Synchronised, who went on to be third in this event under top weight 12 months later before winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2012, but the strength of support for the seemingly out-of-sorts Spookydooky at Exeter last month looked significant and the horse duly delivered his best effort of the campaign by some way.
That staying-on third over the seriously demanding three and three-quarter miles of Exeter’s Devon National was close to an all-time best from the nine-year-old and he consequently looks primed to improve on last year’s fourth behind Firebird Flyer in Saturday’s contest.
The handicapper has done his utmost to respond to that latest showing but a 5lb rise to a mark of 131 still leaves the O’Neill runner 10lb lower than last year.
As a result of that reduced rating he’s 10lb better off with the returning 2016 winner Firebird Flyer, who is himself fairly treated back down to the same mark, while Spookydooky is also 7lb better off with last year’s third Cogry (10lb if Killian Moore’s 3lb claim is factored in too).
The extended four miles here looks an ideal test for this horse, who was a 16/1 chance under Richard Johnson in the Scottish National last spring before pulling up, and there’s a reasonable case to be made for him pushing Mysteree and Court Frontier close in the battle for favouritism come the off. At 12/1 he looks excellent business.
The one to fear most could be Alfie Spinner, two from three since switching to the Kerry Lee yard from Nick Williams and possibly worth excusing a lesser effort when fourth at Carlisle last month.
That defeat came relatively quickly after his comeback win at Wincanton and if that’s simply a case of getting the ‘bounce’ run out of the way before the big target, then it’s an inspired move. He could go close as stamina is very much his forte.
However, Alfie Spinner has never been a prolific winner throughout his career and it’s hard to justify him pulling out another career high at the age of 12, so I’m happy to go solo with Spookydooky who is undeniably still open to further progress after just 10 starts over fences.
Kempton’s novices’ handicap chase has only ended up with seven runners and Romain De Senam, second to JLT runner-up Top Notch earlier in the season, should take all the beating from a favourable mark having been balloted out of Tuesday’s Festival finale, but the Better Odds With Matchbook Silver Plate Handicap Hurdle has attracted a really competitive field.
The two ‘spears’ – namely Divine Spear and Golden Spear - will be popular and both are likely to be suited by the trip and drying ground, but the one who looks capable of taking a massive step forward this spring is Alan King’s KEEP IN LINE.
Wayne Hutchinson presumably had the choice and has plumped for stablemate Top Tug, having ridden both of them all season, but it probably wasn’t a straightforward call and it’s not hard to see the in-form Tom Cannon making the most of the opportunity to ride the ex-Godolphin horse.
He was rated 100 on the level after winning over a mile and a half at Newbury in his youth and on that basis alone could have something in hand from a hurdles mark of 134 now sent down the handicap route in this sphere.
His career for King started with back-to-back wins on good going at Huntingdon and Bangor, before running decent races in Grade Two company, the first of which featured Moon Racer, as well as subsequent Betfair Hurdle one-two Ballyandy and Movewiththetimes, so the form is pretty bombproof.
Last time Keep In Line came completely unstuck on the really deep ground back at Cheltenham on Trials Day but it’s still quite encouraging to see the form of that race also working out, with sixth Coo Star Sivola and eighth home Sneaky Feeling both winning since. The fourth Topofthegame also gave an excellent account subsequently when just edged out by Beyond Conceit at Ascot.
A drop in class and return to a far more suitable racing surface could see the £50,000-purchase return to his best and at 20/1 he is overpriced.
Posted at 1655 GMT on 17/03/17.