COFFEY’LL COSTA THE BOOKIES!
Henderson raider is hot stuff at Sandown
Mister Coffey (3.00) can win the cash for a few stronger drinks down at Sandown.
The five- year- old is highly regarded by Nicky Henderson and was touted for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last term before Shiskin took over the mantle and did the damage at Cheltenham.
Mister Coffey is now being sent handicapping and the mark is very attractive for one so talented.
Nico De Boinville takes the ride and, given this is the time of the year when the Hendo yard starts to fire, there is a strong chance he’ll prove way better than this current rating.
It’s a cracking card at Esher and FIRST LORD DE CUET (12.40) is the type of horse that the David Pipe team do well with.
Espion looks dangerously well handicapped for the Philip Hobbs team but the Pond House yard is smart enough on their own at picking the right races and the seasonal debut over a shorter trip at Fontwell last time out looks to have set this one up for today.
GETAREASON (1.15) is yet another horse who moved across the Irish Sea to Paul Nicholls from Willie Mullins due to a decision by owner Jared Sullivan.
The Ditcheat maestro has got a few of these over the line already this term and the seven-year-old was mixing it in top races at the Festival a couple of seasons ago.
There was just one run at Naas last term but Nicholls can usually get some instant improvement and he’s worth a bet with Lorcan
Williams taking a valuable three pounds off the top-weight.
There’s also jumps action at Stratford with the best bet being HOLD ME TIGHT (3.40).
Polly Gundry’s six-year-old has been building nicely this season and the second behind a decent one of Tom George’s last time up at Wincanton wasn’t bad at all.
Hold Me Tight only got a couple of pounds extra for that effort and can run well here.
Over at Ffos Las, MARTINHAL (2.17) remains of interest for the ultra-shrewd Pipe squad. We put the five-year-old up last weekend only for him to be declared a non-runner just beforehand.
The case for being an improving young sort remains and he can build on his encouraging fourth behind Valleres at Wetherby on seasonal reappearance to win.
There’s a cracking card over in Ireland at Navan with the valuable Troytown Chase the highlight of the action.
As usual, it’s a hellish puzzle but it might pay to have a check back at last year’s race when hunting a winner among the 25 runners.
FITZHENRY (1.35) ran a cracker behind handicap blot Chris’s Dream 12 months ago to come second and has had a pipe opener over hurdles to get set up for this big prize.
Paul Nolan’s yak will likely be a double- figure price and that’s worth an each-way angle into the contest.
CRACKING SMART (1.00) has to lump a welter-burden in the Lismullen Hurdle but Gordon Elliott’s eight-year- old has bags of talent and Bryan Cooper can get a real tune out of him over the two-and-a-half mile trip.