Speculative Bid (4-1) and Lady Dutch (7-2) gave us a tidy profit at Kempton on Saturday. Unfortunately Made Of Love denied us a treble when fading tamely in the closing stages. One lucky punter collected a three-quarters of a million pounds on the Scoop6 and can take it over the million if they win the bonus next weekend. Unfortunately, most of us were knocked out by a 33-1 shocker in the first race at Haydock.
Sunday’s main action comes from Fairyhouse ahead of Monday’s Irish Grand National. There are two Grade 1 races and a Grade 2 featuring several horses that ran well at last month’s Cheltenham festival.
Harry Fry’s Bitofapuzzle ran a fine race to finish a close third behind Glen’s Melody in the Mares’ Hurdle. That was the race which saved the bookmakers a small fortune when Annie Power crashed out at the final hurdle. Bitofapuzzle had no chance of catching that brilliant mare but it was still a fine run and she will have conditions more in her favour on Sunday.
She has shown her best form on soft or heavy ground and this two and a half-mile trip looks perfect. The Pirate Queen was not far behind her that day while Petite Parisienne was not disgraced when fifth in the Triumph Hurdle. This is a stiff task for a four-year-old and a bigger threat may come from Rock On The Moor who missed Cheltenham and will be fresher than most.
It is hard to argue with the form of Shaneshill in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at 3.50. He chased home stable companion Douvan in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and had already shown that he stays this trip. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme form matches up with the Neptune, represented here by the fifth and sixth.
Snow Falcon finished ahead of Outlander that day but the latter could turn the tables here. He was not fluent at his hurdles and had nothing left for the dash to the line.
The Ryanair Gold Cup at 4.20 puts the JLT Novices’ Chase form to the test with second and third in action, Apache Stronghold and Valseur Lido. They were separated by only a short-head that day, albeit 15 lengths adrift of the impressive Vatour. Bryan Cooper dropped his whip on Valseur Lido but it’s hard to say how much difference that may have made.
They both face a tricky opponent in Gitane Du Berlais, an impressive winner of the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown. Willie Mullins elected to send him to France next for a valuable prize over hurdles and he is almost certain to set the pace under Ruby Walsh. I just wonder if he can keep it up in these conditions and prefer the claims of Apache Stronghold.
Bitofapuzzle 3.20 @3-1 Bet365
Shaneshill 3.50 @8-11 Ladbrokes
Apache Stronghold 4.20 @9-2 Paddy Power
