Our Punting Pointers team have started December with a bang after a profitable November and Rory Delargy is back with two bets for Monday.
When It’s Gone, It’s Gone
There isn’t a great deal of action worthy of interest on Monday, and I don’t intend to get too heavily involved, but there are a couple of races in which the firms are offering extra places, and those are always worth a second look.
Clearance is one of just two in this conditions riders’ race to have a future entry in handicaps, often a sign of intent with sharp trainers, and Iain Jardine’s recruit was weak in the market and looked after when down the field after a break on the Flat at Newcastle recently.
A winner of a selling hurdle for Gary Moore before joining Jardine, Clearance was an improved performer on the level for his new yard this summer, when one of his two wins came over 2m at this track.
His recent spin on the all-weather would have been with a view to putting him right for this return to hurdles, and I suspect he will be capable of better form in this sphere in light of his improved form this summer, although that is not taken account of by his hurdles mark as yet, his only run in this discipline for current connections when beaten half a length in a Kelso novice.
I’d like to think that Clearance is up to winning this off his current mark, but I respect the claims of Ross O’Sullivan’s raider Lady Rocco, form whom he’s booked Kevin Brogan. I expect the partnership to be well backed, and that can only help the price of the selection.
At present, we’d be getting a flat return on an each-way bet, and while I can see the possibility of Lady Rocco being too good, I can’t say that about three others, and the four places on offer with many firms is enough inducement to back Clearance each-way.
Sat Last, Some Good News
The one horse myself and David did discuss on Monday’s card before his marathon 12-hour Churchathon on Sunday (he’s very devout, despite his potty mouth) was Sirop de Menthe, a horse we’ve mentioned before as likely to be gambled on when getting the right conditions.
Unfortunately, someone has clearly anticipated that testing ground and moderate opposition might be the catalyst for a big run from Sue Gardner’s veteran, and it’s debatable whether it’s worth following good money with bad at his current odds.
He would most likely have won at Ffos Las on his latest start but for a late fall, but that was on his preferred heavy ground, and Plumpton are forecasting soft, with good to soft in places, which might not be deep enough for this proven mudlark.
In truth, there are very few who can be fancied in conditions, and the other one is Good News, who was also a faller last time, in his case when still travelling within himself over this C&D, and he had won at Fontwell on his previous start. Good News also won twice last season at Fontwell.
One of those runs was on heavy, but he tends to make mistakes when the ground is really testing and is arguably best on ground with a little less give, so the going at Plumpton should be ideal, and he can be forgiven a moderate run on his penultimate start under a change of tactics. To quote the great Ross Geller, “nobody likes change”.
Posted at 1800 GMT on 06/12/20
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