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Thread: The 2021 Betfair Hurdle Sun February 21st Newbury

  1. #61
    Senior Member barjon's Avatar
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    SOLO. Two stable tour comment, Desert:

    “We will start him off at Wincanton in the Elite Hurdle and go from there. He has been gelded during the summer. He was very good at Kempton in the Adonis, but he got lost a little bit round Cheltenham in the Triumph and he may have been over the top. He will improve this season as we have started from scratch with him.”

    “His impressive win in the Adonis Hurdle caused us all to overreact a little, particularly as last season's juveniles might not have been a vintage bunch. He got a bit lost in the Triumph and was then flat out all the way in the Elite, but after being gelded he was like a tank at Wincanton and probably needed the run. He could face a tough season but he'll win a nice race somewhere if he comes down the handicap a few pounds. He wants a trip and soft ground but he also wants fences, which he'll be jumping next season.”
    Last edited by barjon; 13th January 2021 at 3:49 PM.

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  3. #62
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wilsonl View Post
    I've landed on a 50/1 chance; Highway One o Two.

    ...

    He'll love the likely soft ground we get in February and 50/1 is a crazy price.
    H102 was on my radar when I was doing the sectionals for the Adonis, for all the reasons you quote, wilsonl. I then forgot to check what he was up to this season although I was conscious that I'd seen him in a novice chase.

    50/1 could be crazy if he runs.
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  4. #63
    Senior Member tiggers1972's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wilsonl View Post
    Copied from my post on the Longshot thread...


    I've landed on a 50/1 chance; Highway One o Two.

    He was 3/3 in novice hurdles, culminating in a fairly impressive win in the Dovecote. That race is proving to offer much stronger form than the aforementioned Adonis with the third home Kid Commando taking the listed handicap at Ascot earlier this season off 136, the fourth home; Buzz running 3rd in the Welsh Champion before hosing up in an Ascot class 2 off 137 and then narrowly failing to back that up off 148 behind Not So Sleepy. Two places further back in 4th in that Not So Sleepy race was Benson, running off a mark of 137 having previously gone 3/3 so far this season, most recently with a listed handicap win at Ascot. Prior to that run of three successive wins Benson finished off last season by also running in the Dovecote - he finished 8th, 32 lengths behind Highway One o Two.

    So of the Dovecote runners...

    West Cork 2nd, beaten just over 4 lengths was highly thought by Skelton but hasn't run since
    Kid Commando 3rd, beaten 7 1/2 lengths. Now rated 140
    Buzz 4th, beaten 17 1/2 lengths. Entered here (also has a speculative entry in the Champion hurdle) off 152
    Benson 7th, beaten 32 lengths. Now rated 137

    That is strong form and entitles Highway One o Two to a mark in the region of high 140s at least and yet he gets in here off 141 and actually receives 11lb from Buzz having beaten him convincingly last time they met off levels. Buzz is currently fourth fav for this.

    The downside - hence the price - is that he's had an aborted novice chase campaign after falling on debut (when fav to beat Hitman) and then unseating next time out.

    His subsequent run over hurdles can surely be forgiven as they'd no doubt wanted to give him a confidence boosting run back over them before aiming to exploit a lenient mark.

    He'll love the likely soft ground we get in February and 50/1 is a crazy price.
    I'd agree with you Wilson, also the last run over hurdles, he drifted like a barge on the day from 5's out to 11's I think .
    The next day the trainer announced that there was a bug in the yard affecting a few of their runners.

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  6. #64
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marb View Post
    Elsewhere, I hope Ballyandy comes out as the weights rising would suit my early fancy Mack The Man, not least because he's number 46th in the waiting list!
    I'm not convinced Ballyandy will come out.

    NTD only has three entries and the other two will probably make the cut so he might want to keep them down as close to 10-0 as possible. Ballyandy looks better than ever this season and the trainer might fancy him to be competitive off 157.

    All guesswork on my part, mind.
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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    I'm about halfway through my initial trawl of the handicap.

    The more I convince myself that the Adonis form last year isn't over-rated by much, if at all, the happier I am with my Solo bets.

    However, as anticipated, a few others are already shaping up as very strong contenders should I be wrong about him.

    I won't list them all here as I might want to get some bets on. Unfortunately, so far, the prices aren't exciting me but I will say that Metier looks a very worthy favourite as I have gone high with his Tolworth win. At 7/1 tops, though, I can leave him for now.

    Another that I really like is around the 20/1 mark but I was hoping for 50s as I didn't think the radar would have picked it up but it obviously has, so I'll hold off for now and hope that the price eases off over the next couple of weeks. I'm happy to wait until the day unless it goes blue in the interim.

    It's a hugely competitive race.
    Last edited by Desert Orchid; 13th January 2021 at 9:08 PM.
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    Senior Member Bonjers's Avatar
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    Thyme White is my early fancy, although as ever you can make a case for half the field. I'd be mindful of the potential for an absolute bog as he was pulled when highly fancied for the Greatwood. Absolutely hosed in at Chepstow where he was good for more than the winning margin and the Pink'n has run two very respectable races since when following Botox Has in the Masterson and Floressa in the Gerry Fielden.

    Whilst that result may not tell the true story of the race, with Thyme White unseating Cobden and Milkwood getting murdered in the process when both coming to stake their claim, I'd be confident there's still plenty of juice in his mark.

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    SOLO got a mention in this week’s ‘Weights & Measures’ after dropping 3lb following his Lanzarote Hurdle 12th at the weekend.

    The bare result was disappointing, but he moved through the race like a good horse to my eyes and just shaped like he didn’t stay in a contest that didn’t work out ideally. I’m sure there will be other days for him and Harry Cobden looked after him once his chance had gone.

    Now 16lb lower than the 157-rating he was awarded after landing the Adonis last year, he’s looking well treated off his new mark and a big-field two-mile handicap hurdle looks the way to go with him – hence the inclusion in this list.

    The same connections won this race last year with a similar type in Pic D’Orhy, so they could be aiming to repeat the trick and they may as well go pot hunting with Solo before he embarks on an inevitable chasing career

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  11. #68
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    Some lad on the Sportinglife.

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    I found it interesting trying to read the trainers in the race.

    Take Nicholls, for example.

    Six entries, all guaranteed to make the cut, rated from 147 (Wild Max) down to 141 (Solo). Wild Max has seen his mark go up from 132, which was very likely to make the cut. Why blow that mark? Has he blown it? Friend Or Foe has gone up from 124 (so maybe needed to) to 141. Same questions. Christopher Wood is seemingly exposed as not up to winning a race of this nature off this kind of mark. Miranda went up 7lb for winning a mares' handicap and couldn't win off her new mark at Musselburgh. Could she have gone close off her old mark? Thyme White could have won last time which could have blown his mark (although the winner only went up 3lb).

    Why enter six and blow the marks of five of them? At the same time, get another down from [a possibly dubious] 157 to 141?

    Other trainers strike me as blowing their charges' marks too. Yet multiple winners have a decent record in the race.

    Hendo sent out Buzz to run very well in a valuable race last time yet Mister Coffey had the brakes applied in his race. He also had Marie's Rock beaten at odds-on after declaring her to be as exciting as Epatante at the same stage of her career.


    Who would have thought Ciel De Neige was still a maiden until taking a maiden hurdle last time at 1/6 thereby preserving his mark?

    Chris Gordon has sent out Remiluc to run his socks off in this race twice but hasn't even entered him when he's back on the same mark as when a very close third last season. Instead he relies on H102 and the prolific Annual Evictus and maybe Mount Windsor.

    It doesn't look like Skelton has been plotting any of his either.

    I'm thinking myself into a tizzy now!
    Last edited by Desert Orchid; 13th January 2021 at 11:25 PM.
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  13. #70
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    The Fat Man can't help himself ruining marks winning egg and spoon races.

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    Senior Member Bonjers's Avatar
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    Remiluc has been retired, DO.

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
    The Fat Man can't help himself ruining marks winning egg and spoon races.
    But targeting a big one still isn't beyond him. Last year he also had TDM very close up in this race.

    I'm imagining him treating his horses as a game of, say, trump, in which he knows he can win certain 'hands' while knowing he has something even better in reserve.

    I imagine him deciding months in advance which horse is going to be targeting which race. We know how seriously he targets the Badger Ales, for example. Yet he'll also run one right down the park there.

    I do think the bigger the yard the more scope they have to win good prizes with Div II horses.
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  17. #73
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Not many big festival entries in the field.

    This is what I make it:

    Supreme - Metier, Third Time Lucki, Llandinabo Lad
    Ballymore - Metier, Third Time Lucki
    Champion Hdl - Ballyandy, Buzz, For Pleasure, Marie's Rock
    Mares - Marie's Rock
    Mares nov - Galice Macalo
    Last edited by Desert Orchid; 14th January 2021 at 10:42 AM.
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  18. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    Not many big festival entries in the field.

    This is what I make it:

    Supreme - Metier, Third Time Lucki, Llandinabo Lad
    Ballymore - Metier, Third Time Lucki
    Champion Hdl - Ballyandy, Buzz, Marie's Rock
    Mares - Marie's Rock
    Mares nov - Galice Macalo
    For Pleasure is in the Champion.

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HawkWing View Post
    For Pleasure is in the Champion.
    Cheers, HW. I've duly edited my post.
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  20. #76
    Senior Member barjon's Avatar
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    Edwardstone reverts to hurdles up at Market Rasen, having unseated Tom Bellamy before the race had got going on his first time attempt over fences at Doncaster. Alan added:”The owners and I agreed that it is getting a bit late in the season for Edwardstone to pursue a novice chase campaign, so his new target now is the Betfair Handicap Hurdle at Newbury next month.

    “He has schooled well since Doncaster, but he needs a prep over hurdles before Newbury for match practice so he goes to Market Rasen for a handicap hurdle, in which he has topweight. He showed when fifth in the Greatwood at Cheltenham in November than he can compete in the top handicaps, and it’s also a plus that he is starting to race properly rather than taking a pull.”

  21. #77
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Can't see them wanting to pick up a penalty.

    I would half-expect a wee educational run round in midfield.

    Behind Oscar's Leader
    Last edited by Desert Orchid; 15th January 2021 at 10:20 PM.
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  22. #78
    Senior Member barjon's Avatar
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    Yeah, that’d mean they are serious about the Betfair?

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    Well it is a monster pot so here's a clue, a few horses will have been laid out for the race...

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    Listened to Lydia hislops road to Cheltenham, Skelton was on it and was asked if Cadzand was his County plot. He basically said that his mark will be blown after the Betfair. That and third time lucki to mussleburgh suggest they are very confident. I'm sure there are others equally so, but I was convinced by it.

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