Racing betting tips: Saturday April 24
1pt win Another Batt in 2.50 Haydock at 14/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
1pt win Golan Fortune in 3.40 Sandown at 11/1 (General)
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind finish to the jumps season for jockey Tom Scudamore, whose disappointment on Cloth Cap at Aintree was swiftly erased by Scottish National success on Mighty Thunder, and he’s picked up a good ride on GOLAN FORTUNE in Sandown’s bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
He’s never ridden Phil Middleton's horse in public before but that was the case with Mighty Thunder at Ayr too and I fancy it’s a partnership that could work well, with a return to more positive tactics expected.
Golan Fortune was a pretty smart hurdler and has some eyecatching form in that sphere, including a Kempton win over Kildisart and a superb second to Topofthegame which came in a valuable handicap over a trip just short of three miles at this venue.
He won really well from a mark of 135 over three miles at Cheltenham early on last season and wound up not being totally disgraced with a mid-pack finish from well off the pace in the Coral Cup at the Festival.
This time around he's mixed hurdling with a novice chase campaign and has proved to be equally adept over larger obstacles, winning by eight and a half lengths from Champagne Well at Ludlow on his chase debut before being a shade outclassed in good Graded races won by Shan Blue at Kempton and Next Destination at Warwick.
He prepped for the spring with a reasonable hurdles run but then found life tough back over fences again when pitched into the Midlands Grand National last month, a race that didn’t really develop as he found himself too far back in what turned out to be a slowly-run affair.
This weekend’s race is technically a step up in class (Listed to Grade Three), but that’s simply not the case in reality as there were three horses with ratings in excess of 150 at Uttoxeter, while the very well-handicapped winner looks bound for the top when it comes to staying handicap chases in this country, and could yet be a bit better than that.
Aforementioned Ayr hero Mighty Thunder was second and Coo Star Sivola, only tenth in the Midlands National, has since gone close in a nice race at Cheltenham from just a 1lb lower mark.
In short, that was a belting race for that grade – unsurprisingly so given the prize money – and no doubt more winners will be emerging from it.
Golan Fortune – Timeform top-rated on adjusted figures in the bet365 Gold Cup field - looks a very realistic candidate given his overall profile on top of the fact he’s been eased 2lb, and I also like the cheekpieces going back on as he was really good at Ludlow when the same headgear replaced a visor worn on his previous run (which is the case again on Saturday).
Five-year-old Kitty’s Light stands out a mile when it comes to horses possessing plenty of potential in this line-up but with Plan Of Attack far too short, largely based on his trainer and jockey, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see some outsiders attract money. Bob Mahler is really well treated on his best and should probably beat Plan Of Attack purely on last year's Kim Muir form, while Checkitout surely still has a bit of upside.
He makes the odd shuddering jumping mistake, in evidence again at Haydock earlier in the month, which is enough to put me off him around here, but I wouldn’t be wholly confident the handicapper now has his measure from a mark of 135.
Checkitout is a strapping horse with more developing to do and he'll no doubt win more races, but I’d also have liked the yard to be showing a bit more spark in general to be risking him in a race of this nature, even at 28/1.
The small-field Graded action elsewhere on the Sandown card doesn’t float my boat particularly and Haydock’s Casumo Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap looks more punter-friendly.
Freshness angle key to Barron challenger
Lightly-raced filly Dreamloper is bred to be Group-class and looked to be going the right way last year but she’s not been sighted since the start of September and took a couple of goes before opening her account last summer.
I’m happy to oppose her dropping from a mile at Ascot to seven furlongs on quick ground at Haydock this weekend and ready preference at the prices is for the well-travelled ANOTHER BATT, who is also making his seasonal debut but did win at the first time attempt last season (not the first time he’s struck when fresh from a break).
After swooping late to win cosily at Thirsk in early-August he went to Ireland where he hung badly just about all the way, after which he was sent off a gambled-on 10/1 shot for the Ayr Gold Cup. He missed the break and didn’t run up to form at all north of the border but performed better than the bare result when ninth to Gulliver on his most recent outing at York.
It's very hard to make up ground from the back on the sprint course on the Knavesmire when the front-runners really get rolling from halfway so he did quite well to be beaten six and a half lengths in the circumstances.
The handicapper has dropped him again so he’s now only 1lb higher than the comeback win last term. He looks a cracking bet at 10/1 and bigger with a strong pace to aim at courtesy of Gobi Sunset, Fox Champion, Admirality and Marshal Dan all confirmed pace angles in the race.
Published at 1600 BST on 23/04/21
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