Tag: Nico de Boinville

Ayr Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Scottish Grand National meeting gets under way at Ayr on Friday with the going officially good to soft. The outlook is for fine weather for the rest of the week so it is unlikely to favour the soft ground horses.

The card begins with a Novices’ Hurdle at 1.25 with Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville teaming up with Different Gravey. He is an imposing son of High Chaparral who has won races at Newbury and Huntingdon this season. He looked in trouble on his most recent start with three to jump but got stronger as they race went on, eventually beating A Vos Gardes by three lengths.

He meets the runner-up on identical terms here and should confirm the form. He did win a point-to-point on good ground in Ireland and should not be too inconvenienced by conditions. Fascino Rustico could be a danger if he can get his jumping together. Dan Skelton enjoyed a tremendous couple of days at Cheltenham this week and this horse was running respectably when falling in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

The staying handicap hurdle at 2.30 looks wide open and Henderson again has a leading contender in Special Agent, racing in the colours of Her Majesty The Queen. He had to work hard to win last time out and was probably flattered by his eight-length winning margin. There are plenty of others with chances here but not all are proven over three miles.

Brian Ellison’s Racing Europe certainly stays, having just been run out of it by Milansbar at Kelso over three miles and three furlongs last month. That looked a very decent contest and followed a fair run in fourth behind the front-running Bygones Sovereign. He is also a winner in excess of three miles at Catterick and has won on good to soft.

He does have ground to make up on Shanroe Santos on Musselburgh form in February but that horse has been well beaten since. Tony McCoy will need to earn his fee aboard Capard King who looks a hard ride while Sir Vinski and Chosen Well are others with chances.

Henderson and De Boinville could be back in the winner’s enclosure at 4.10 with Spartan Angel who ran a good race when third in the valuable mares’ race at Newbury last time. The daughter of Beneficial was coming back after a lay-off that day and looks to have been kept for the better spring ground.

Different Gravey 1.25 @11-10 Ladbrokes

Racing Europe 2.30 @8-1 Bet365

Spartan Angel 4.10 @3-1 BetVictor

Cheltenham Thursday Preview

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Wednesday’s Cheltenham card began with a victory for Nicky Henderson and Nick de Boinville with Might Bite but that only tells half of the story. He cruised into the lead at the last but began pulling himself up and drifted out to 40-1 on the exchanges before consenting to run on and regain the lead close home.

The same team could be in the winner’s enclosure again on Thursday with Broxbourne in the Mares’ Hurdle race at 3.15. Racing fans will remember Broxbourne winning the Goodwood Stakes and the Brown Jack Stakes on the flat when trained by Mark Johnston. She prefers good or fast ground so her opportunities have been limited over hurdles but the Lambourn trainer appears to have saved her for this meeting.

She warmed up with an effortless victory on ground softer than she likes at Ludlow and looks well handicapped on a mark of 127. There are some good mares in opposition including her stable companion Mayfair Music. She has run poorly on soft ground in her two previous races this season but it is safe to put a line through those. Top weight L’Unique would have finished fifth or sixth in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham had she not fallen. She could run well despite top weight while The Govaness won well last time and could be improving.

Sean Bowen continues to impress in the saddle and he rode another winner at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Tomorrow he rides two for his father, Peter, including Rolling Maul in the staying handicap hurdle at 4.25.

The seven-year-old son of Oscar has really paid his way this season, winning handicaps at Cheltenham and Warwick. He defied top weight of 11st 12lbs last time out on soft ground but conditions were faster when he fought back to beat Knight Of Noir in first-time blinkers on New Year’s Day.

His first four victories were on good ground so he should not be inconvenienced by conditions on Thursday. It is more a question of whether the handicapper has caught up with him with another 7lbs on his back. Aqalim ran well at the festival but I’m still not convinced that he stays three miles while Milan Bound needed all of McCoy’s persuasion to win last time out. Sybarite would also have a chance if he decides to put his best foot forward.

Broxbourne 3.15 @7-2 Bet365

Rolling Maul 4.25 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Cheltenham blog – Coneygree wins Gold Cup

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Coneygree became the first novice chaser to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup since Captain Christy when making all the running to beat Djakadam and Road To Riches.

Betcirca followers still held out hopes for 16-1 ante-post advice Djakadam jumping the last but Ruby Walsh’s mount could not quite get to the leader. Trainer Mark Bradstock discussed the options with connections before deciding to go for the Gold Cup in preference to the RSA Chase earlier in the week.

The son of Karinga Bay had won all three races over fences since returning from a long-term injury in November. He was due to race at Plumpton in November but was withdrawn on veterinary advice at the start. He was quickly re-routed to Newbury where he was opposed by the Paul Nicholls-trained Saphir Du Rheu. That rival unseated Sam Twiston-Davies at the seventh fence and Coneygree went on to beat Dell’ Arca by a length and a half.

He followed up by winning the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton but the race was marred by four of the seven runners failing to complete the course. Bradstock decided to test him against established chasers the Denman Chase at Newbury last month. He made all the running to beat Houblon Des Obeaux and Unioniste by seven lengths and three and a half lengths.

That persuaded connections to go for the big one and the rain arrived just in time in the Cotswolds. Coneygree was bred by the late Lord Oaksey and is a half-brother to former Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers. Jockey Nico De Boinville was having his first ride in the race and rode his first festival winner only last year on Whisper for Nicky Henderson.

Coneygree is a top price 10-1 for next year’s Gold Cup with runner-up Djakadam as high as 16-1 with Coral. Don Poli and Vautour are both available at 6-1 after their impressive victories at the festival this week. Road To Riches is 25-1, the same price as today’s beaten favourite Silviniaco Conti.

Djakadam is only a six-year-old, although the French-bred horses do tend to peak at a younger age. He is as short as 8-1 elsewhere so, if you fancy him, the 16-1 should be snapped up quickly.

On The Fringe (tipped at 8-1) won the Foxhunter Chase to end a run of three seconds on the day for Betcirca after Top Notch (16-1), Djakadam (16-1) and Sort It Out (14-1).

Djakadam @16-1 Coral – 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup