Matt Brocklebank has had winners at 16/1, 14/1, 12/1 and 15/2 since the turn of the year - don't miss the latest Value Bet preview and tips.
Value Bet tips: Saturday February 15
1pt e.w. Dans Le Vent in 1.15 Ascot at 20/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Country Park in 2.25 Ascot at 12/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Java Point in 3.00 Ascot at 16/1 (William Hill)
1pt win Apple Away in 3.15 Haydock at 8/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
Today's Sky Bet Request-A-Bet
- JILAIJONE to place in 1.15 Ascot (6 places)
- COUNTRY PARK to place in 2.25 Ascot (5 places)
- APPLE AWAY to win 3.15 Haydock
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Looking out for Vent finishing fast
Saturday’s feature Betfair Ascot Chase doesn’t really get the punting juices flowing, with market leader Pic D’Orhy about as obvious as they come, but that’s no hardship seeing as there are plenty of other good opportunities to find a winner at rewarding odds.
I’ll tackle the ITV Ascot action chronologically (for once) and kick off with an each-way suggestion in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle.
This wouldn’t be the greatest race ever shown on terrestrial television, given those towards the bottom are only marginally into three-figure BHA ratings, but there are some capable horses a bit higher up the weights and DANS LE VENT has that little bit of class based on his best form from two or three seasons ago.
Evan Williams' gelding may have just turned 12 and hasn’t tasted success since winning the valuable stayers’ handicap at Haydock on Betfair Chase day in 2021, but he did miss the whole of last season to be fair and has been cut plenty of slack by the handicapper.
Back on the same mark as when an eyecatching third at Chepstow over Christmas, Dans Le Vent’s last effort at Windsor surely just wants a line striking through it as he seemed to hate the tight twists and turns of that venue – he wasn’t alone in that regard over Winter Million weekend.
Isabel Williams certainly didn’t punish him in the closing stages, when it was clear he wasn’t going to be making up the ground from rear, and it’s hoped that’ll stand him in good stead back at Ascot, where he ran well in a couple of similar races over course and distance at the age of eight.
Reverting to some decent ground - set to dry out further from the official 'good to soft, good in places' at time of writing – might just help him roll back the years, while the cherry on top is that we’re looking at what seems likely to be a very strongly-run race, with three or four confirmed pace-setters set to help tee things up for the more patiently-ridden horses.
Headgear might just perk up Park
The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle is dead competitive and cases can be made for plenty, not least top weight Altobelli, who had Moveit Like Minnie back in third when landing a nice pot over the same course and distance last month.
The latter is 5lb better off this time, before Finn Lambert’s claim is taken into account, but Harry Fry’s horse was well on top and is open to more improvement after just eight hurdle starts. I'd just about take him to uphold the form with that reopposing rival.
Altobelli is not alone in being on an upward curve, though, and there are others lurking on what look like dangerous marks. Into The Park, Jour d'Evasion and COUNTRY PARK are all potentially ahead of the handicapper, with Jonjo and AJ O’Neill's runner the one who appeals most having cost current connections £150,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point last winter.
He’s only made six starts over obstacles since the switch from Colin Bowe and things haven’t gone all that smoothly so far either, having been brought down on hurdling debut last May and then taken a crunching fall when looking a big threat two from home here just before Christmas.
After such a rough experience, the quick return to action last month looked a case of getting him back on track – mentally as much as anything – and I’m hopeful it worked a treat as Country Park shaped nicely in a race dominated by front-runner and eventual winner, Jax Junior.
That one has since been beaten only a length and a half in the (Listed) Sidney Banks at Huntingdon so there was no disgrace in the runner-up’s performance, especially if priority number one was a safe round with a view to going handicapping.
A more strongly-run race in a bigger field looks highly likely to suit the selection, with training duo Jonjo and AJ O’Neill now reaching for cheekpieces in a bid to eke out that extra layer of improvement.
Team O’Neill is no stranger to applying headgear for the big day down the years and Judicial Law (also owned by Gay Smith) won at Kelso early last season when fitted with first-time cheekpieces. The yard has made that move 14 times over the past couple of campaigns in handicap hurdles and as well as the aforementioned winner, another half a dozen have been placed in the first three. An each-way bet looks the way to play it in such a competitive heat.
Point well made...
Finally at Ascot, give serious consideration to JAVA POINT in the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase.
He’s no superstar and might not be getting any quicker given he’s now 10 but there are still races to be won with him based on this season’s two outings at Cheltenham.
Second to a well-treated Transmission at the November meeting and then fourth behind King Turgeon last time out, Java Point has run well around Prestbury Park in the past too but I’m still not convinced he’s all that suited to the track and he might just be a bit more effective going right-handed again.
He came good in a big way with a Sandown victory on good ground this time last year and he's now down to a mark just 3lb higher than for that win. Henry Oliver’s horse was good value for his length and a half success that day as he hit the front early enough between the final two fences before dossing significantly on the run-in.
The yard could admittedly be in better form going into this weekend, having had just two winners since the start of October, but it’s not like Oliver has a massive string and you can’t exactly knock his record when he comes to Ascot, with two winners and a second from just five runners on the chase track here over the years.
All eyes are bound to be on last-time-out winners Victtorino, Hasthing and Terresita, but I’ll take a dart at this outsider to spring a bit of a surprise.
Apple ripe for the picking
It’s not been much of a season to write home about so far for Lucinda Russell but it’s often February, March and April when that stable really starts to roll and two of the trainer’s best horses hold decent chances up at Haydock.
The unbeaten Derryhassen Paddy puts his record on the line in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle, ahead of possible targets at Cheltenham and Aintree, while before that it’s over to APPLE AWAY who bids to open her account for the campaign in the Oddschecker Grand National Trial Handicap Chase.
Apple Away looked to have a big future after winning the Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle – one of Derryhassen Paddy’s principal spring targets – a couple of years ago and while it hasn’t quite worked out for the mare subsequently, she’s looked made for a top staying handicap of this ilk and things could finally all come to fruition.
With Apple Away the last horse to sneak into Saturday’s valuable race off their correct mark, Derek Fox is sweating down to do his minimum weight of 10-2 just a couple of days after returning to action having fractured a collarbone in a fall at Windsor last month.
Four weeks is a swift recovery time for the dual Grand National-winning rider, but it’s not hard to imagine the lure of riding Apple Away in this valuable event has provided an added incentive in Fox’s rehab.
Her last run at Newbury was her best effort of the season but has also seen her mark dip to 138 which is clearly on the lenient side for a former Grade 1 winner who remains lightly raced in this sphere.
Jumping has been a little questionable at times since switched to fences but she seems happier in that regard going a stride slower I’d expect Haydock to play to her strengths as she’s surely going to be ridden prominently and out of trouble.
Her only previous attempt at the chase course here saw Apple Away finish third to Grey Dawning and Gaillard Du Mesnil as a novice so I won’t hold that against her and this will be much more of a stamina test anyway.
The early double-figure prices straight after declarations soon dried up but I’m not put off by the market support and would happily back her at odds north of 6/1.
Published at 1600 GMT on 14/02/25
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