Rory Delargy has two strong fancies on Monday as trainer Archie Watson is backed to work his magic with an interesting new recruit.
Recommended bets, Monday October 26
2pts win General Bux in 2.50 Ayr at 11/4 (1pt min 2/1)
3pts win Only The Brave in 3.45 Leicester at 6/1 (2pts @ 9/2, 1pt min 11/4)
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A stunning stat: 3.45 Leicester - Only The Brave
Only The Brave would have been interesting enough purely on the fact this is her first run for Archie Watson since leaving Sarah Lynam, as Watson is so good at getting these sorts to win at the first time of asking. His record is 13 wins from 41 such runners in the last two years, and while you’d expect the market to have got wise to this, it hasn’t. Three of his four stable-switch winners this year have scored at 4/1, 13/2 and 9/1, but perhaps there’s a reason for this, and that is the type of race they’ve been running in. Many people steer clear of amateur riders’ races as they think they are a poor punting medium, but they are very wrong, and a closer look at those horses acquired for Brodie Hampson to ride provides a real punting gem.
Since he started training, Archie Watson has acquired six horses as vehicles for Brodie Hampson to ride, and which she has partnered them on their first start for the yard; their form figures on that stable debut read 211111. A truly remarkable sequence, and one which is very likely to continue, given Watson is in flying form at present, with five winners from 15 runners in the past fortnight. Only The Brave’s only run on soft ground came at Galway a couple of years ago, when she finished a 3¼l fourth to no less a horse than future 1000 Guineas winner Hermosa.
Only The Brave hasn’t progressed, but that’s hardly surprising as his erstwhile trainer boasts a miserable record of 1-130 since the start of last year. A mark of 58 looks more than workable if Archie has managed, as expected, to get her back on good terms with herself, and this really isn’t the strongest of contests.
A league of his own: 2.50 Ayr - General Bux
General Bux is a horse who went into David’s notebook on debut at Sandown back in 2015, and he’s followed the gelding closely since; chasing was always going to be his game and Sophie Leech has done well to find a couple of little contests for him, making all for wins at Huntingdon and Chepstow. He’s not been without his problems, having broken a blood vessel when stopping quickly in between those wins, and then being off the course for 18 months.
He was given a fairly quiet reintroduction after his long absence, and ought to come on plenty for a run at Huntingdon last month. The handicapper has dropped him to 105 on the back of that encouraging effort, and he’s class above his opponents here on all known form. We’d expect him to return to the front-running tactics which have served him well, and the most impressive thing about the operation run by Sophie and Christian Leech is how well they have done spotting opportunities which require travel, particularly in picking up some very decent prize-money in France of late. It’s possible that he may need another run to hit full fitness, but the fact he’s going all the way to Ayr on his own from the Leech Racing base just north of the River Severn in Gloucestershire suggests a big run is anticipated.
Preview posted 1800 BST on 25/10/2020
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