Free racing tips: Betting advice from leading tipster David Massey

Recommended bets, Wednesday December 2

1pt win The Cob in 2.55 Haydock at 7/1 (minimum 6/1)

1pt win Johnny Drama in 6.30 Kempton at 9/4 (minimum 2/1)

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• November was a fantastic month for our daily Punting Pointers column, with a profit of £45.74 recorded at recommended prices.

2.55 Haydock - The Cob

I should, at this point, hold up a picture of a bread roll and say “What do you call this?” in a desperate attempt for social media interaction, but here on Punting Pointers, we’re better than that. Not much, but we are.

Although here in Nottinghamshire, a cob is indeed a bread roll, although I doubt very much that’s what they had in mind when naming it. Maybe they did, maybe Ben Pauling was hungry at the time, I don’t know. Anyway, I like the chances of The Cob today, and here’s why.

Only a field of ten but there’s no shortage of front runners, with Minella Charm, Ebony Jewel, Oscars Leader and possibly Multellie all in the frame for the role, and indeed The Cob himself has run from the front in a couple of his races. However, he’s been quite keen early on in his last two starts, not that it stopped him from winning last time, and getting a lead is likely to help him settle and see his race out even better.

The handicapper has left him alone after his Uttoxeter win last time, as the very short-priced favourite sadly broke down and left him with little to beat, but he did it well and the step up to 20f was no problem. Neither is heavy ground, his best effort to date coming on it (again at Uttoxeter) and with the promise of more to come now he steps into handicap company, he looks a bet.

(Please note, I do know a cob is a horse. Do not send in angry missives. Thanks.)

6.30 Kempton - Johnny Drama

The first question to ask here is whether likely favourite Sinjaari truly stays 12f, and the evidence seen so far suggests that he doesn’t, albeit two of those 12f efforts came on rain-softened ground. A strongly-run 10f seems to bring out the best in him, and with that, we’d rather look elsewhere for the winner.

Johnny Drama has won his last three now, and made light work of what, on the face of it, seemed quite a tough task at Southwell last week, giving 10lb to the higher-rated Raymond Tusk but the result never looked in doubt from a long way out, with him galloping on strongly for a 5l win.

It would be easy to file that away under the winner simply handling Fibresand better than the runner-up, but we take the view that this is an improving horse that gets 12f well, and with the front-runners role up for grabs again here, we can see De Sousa being allowed to set the tempo and Johnny Drama making all. Already twice a winner here this autumn, he can score again.

Theatre Mix - 12.55 Ludlow

There is altogether more mundane racing taking place at Ludlow on Wednesday, and I’m surprised to see that Theatre Mix isn’t favourite for the Sir Toby Memorial Novices' Handicap Chase, given that she’s in a pretty weak race, even for the grade, and is racing off the same mark as at Taunton last month where she was in front and looking sure to win when crumpling at the third last.

That would have been a career best if she’d stood up, and having shown a fair level of ability in a stop-start career, she has seen her mark drop by 13lb since first assessed. She looks well handicapped in light of how she was shaping last time, and very few of her rivals looks capable of winning handicaps at present.

Sadly, the prices have rather disappeared as the afternoon has progressed and at current prices, he couldn’t be recommended as a bet. We’d be looking for 7-2 as a minimum, and at that he’d be a small win bet.

Posted at 1745 GMT on 01/12/20

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