Thursday, 19th August 2021
It’s Day 2 of the Ebor meeting up at York – and the Clipper Logistics Handicap is the feature race of the day for handicap punters….
If you missed my selections for that race, catch up here. My focus is already on the Day 3 card (tomorrow)….
I’m always 24 hours ahead of the game – in the hope of bagging the best of the prices about ‘live’ contenders the market is overlooking, underestimating or just plain wrong about….
Let’s crack on….
DARK JEDI is the bet for me at the general 16s & 14s in the opener on tomorrow’s card – the Sky Bet Handicap (1.50) over the 12f trip….
The 5yo has been pretty consistent since moving to Tim Easterby’s from Charlie Hills’ yard at the start of last season….
He was rated 80 when he made the switch. He’s now rated 95 – having produced three wins and three seconds from 12 goes for his new connections….
In that time he’s stepped up to trips beyond the mile – first at 10f, then at 12f and also at 14f….
And he’s performed at that longest trip – finishing 2nd in last season’s Old Borough Cup at Haydock off a mark of 92. He was following up on another good effort at York….
That Haydock performance represented a fresh ‘top’ on the Rating Post rating scale. He matched that level earlier this month at Musselburgh over 12f and is clearly bang in form going in to tomorrow’s race….
I reckon he’s best over the 12f trip he gets to run over tomorrow. And of those up at decent prices, I reckon he’s one that could still take a step forward from his current perch. This is very much his time of the year too….
He was plenty fancied and well-backed for the Old Newton Cup at Haydock back in July off a mark of 94 – but he disappointed. He was well below his best that day – for whatever reason….
He was probably laid out for that race. These things happen. Plan fall through. But since then he’s bounced back with a win at Ripon and that joint-career best effort at Musselburgh – runs that should have primed him for this race which now looks like a Plan B for the season….
He’s got form on soft ground but can handle good – and he’s got form on this track where he was 4th of 22 in last season’s John Smith Cup over the extended 10f trip….
Tomorrow’s trip will suit better and I envisage a good run. The 16s & 14s is fair enough all things taken together….
Each-way backers take note: Sky Bet are 1/5 the first 7. You can get 1/5 the first 5 and 1/4 the first 4 generally….
Nick’s contrarian picks….To recap on where my idea of the value lies tomorrow afternoon…. In the Sky Bet Handicap (1.50 @ York).
That is my take on where the value lies – but you will no doubt have your own ideas and that’s exactly as it should be. |
That’s all from me for today. I’ll be back tomorrow. Meanwhile….
Anything to report? Anything to say? Anything to share? Contact me at: nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk
Until next time. Stay tuned.
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