Free Value Bet horse racing tips from Ben Linfoot for Saturday at Sandown and Wolverhampton
After a 12/1 winner last weekend Ben Linfoot bids to follow that up with three Value Bets at Sandown and Wolverhampton on Saturday.
Recommended Bets: Value Bet March 10
1pt win Dentley De Mee in 1.50 Sandown at 28/1
1pt win Mythical Madness in 2.05 Wolverhampton at 22/1
1pt win Huntsman Son in 2.25 Sandown at 16/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Nicky Henderson has a strong hand in the Matchbook Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (2.25) at Sandown on Saturday with Whatswrongwithyou and Call Me Lord both well fancied towards the top of the betting.
The former is massively unexposed and comes into this handicap debut on a hat-trick, while the latter is going for his third win from as many starts at the track and is back in handicap company after running third in the Kingwell last time.
Call Me Lord has a tough task giving at least 12lb to everything, though, and he could easily put up a career-best performance in defeat, so the 8/1 about him looks skinny enough.
It’s harder to put a line through Whatswrongwithyou, even at 9/2, as he could be very well-handicapped on a line through stablemate OK Corral, but that novice hurdle he won last time was easy pickings and I just wonder if the likely strong gallop in this might come as a bit of a shock to him.
In a competitive renewal the percentage call is to take him on and the one I like at the prices is Alex Hales’ HUNTSMAN SON at 16/1 (General).
This lightly-raced eight-year-old has been making up for lost time this season, winning twice and finishing second twice from five starts with both of his victories coming in December.
They marked him out as a potentially smart improver and despite defeats on his last two outings he has shaped as if still on an upward curve, particularly at Cheltenham last time where he chased home Remiluc.
That run came off a mark of 133, just 2lb lower than the one he runs off on Saturday, and the way he responded to James Bowen’s pressure up the hill bodes very well for Saturday’s assignment.
Remiluc was well positioned throughout at Cheltenham and was given an excellent ride by Harry Reed, who kicked for home early and caught the rest of the field off guard.
Huntsman Son was the one that emerged from the pack to chase him home and to get within two lengths was some effort. The way he pulled five lengths clear of Le Patriote was striking as the pair were upsides a furlong out and that rival has franked the form subsequently with a win at Ascot.
Indeed, Le Patriote is 7/1 second-favourite for this on the back of his Ascot win, but Huntsman Son is more than double the price despite getting a 6lb pull at the weights after finishing five lengths ahead of him at Cheltenham.
By that logic he appeals as a good bet at a good price. I also like that he stays further and that there could be plenty more to come from him going right-handed (he was very impressive at Market Rasen back in December).
Earlier on the E.B.F Matchbook VIP “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final (1.50) is packed with potential as usual and cases can be made for several of the 18 runners.
However, there’s one that stands out at the prices and that’s Nick Williams’ DENTLEY DE MEE at 28/1 (Ladbrokes, 25/1 General).
He’s a strong traveller and a good jumper and just shapes as though he’ll thrive off a proper gallop, something he should get here with several prominent racers in the line-up.
Williams aimed him at the Lanzarote earlier in the season, a race he has a terrific record in, and he didn’t shape badly at all in eighth that day considering they didn’t go fast enough for him.
That form has been working out well with the runner-up, Spiritofthegames, finishing third in the Betfair Hurdle, while the fourth Topofthegame won at Sandown and the seventh, the aforementioned Le Patriote, won at Ascot.
Dentley De Mee was just a place behind that horse in eighth and then ran well at Exeter last time when third to Master Tommytucker after racing a little too keenly in the early stages.
Again, a stronger gallop would’ve helped, but the form has been boosted by Reikers Island, a faller two out that day, after he won subsequently at Fontwell.
Off a low weight with the trainer’s son, Chester, taking 7lb off, Dentley De Mee could well outrun his odds in a big way and in first-time cheekpieces he’s taken to add to the yard’s 2008 success in this race with Beshabar.
Finally, MYTHICAL MADNESS is worth chancing at 22/1 (General) in the sunbets.co.uk Lincoln Trial Handicap at Wolverhampton (2.05).
This race has an open look to it now Original Choice is a non-runner and Mythical Madness has dropped to a tempting mark of 91 thanks to a losing run stretching to nine.
He likes Wolverhampton, though, winning at the track three times including in handicaps off 94 and 97 and he wasn’t beaten far in his last two runs at the track this winter.
A mark of 91 is his lowest for well over two years and the headgear switch to first-time blinkers is an interesting one, as he won in first-time cheekpieces and also relished the switch back to a visor last summer.
He has a wide draw in 12 to overcome, but there’s no reason why Kevin Stott can’t slot into a nice position from that berth, especially as this horse is usually produced from off the pace.
His trainer David O’Meara is 0 from 60 in Britain this year, but he has had 14 seconds among that number and he did at least have a Group Three victory in Doha late last month.
If things fall his way, Mythical Madness looks well handicapped enough to break his trainer's duck in Britain for the year and at the prices he looks the way to go.
Posted at 1700 GMT on 09/03/18.
Ben Linfoot's Value Bet aim: The Value Bet is designed to generate long-term profit by searching for overpriced horses in the feature weekend races and at the big Festivals in the UK. Running total: +364.89pts to advised stakes/prices (from inception of Value Bet column in January 2010 to current).
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