SHREWD PAULING’S CHEEKY FENCE MAESTRO A GREAT BET
IT ROCKS my boat that the in-form Ben Pauling will run HENRY’S FRIEND (1.50) in the Grade Two Sodexo Live! Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot this afternoon, rather than take on the handicap later on the card.
This beast fences like Gene Kelly in The Three Musketeers, as victories at Hereford and Newbury on his last two starts have underlined.
The shrewd trainer is also sticking on cheekpieces for the first time, which can only aid his cause.
With five runners facing the starter, the cunning Baldrick-like plan is to back Henry’s Friend at 15-2 with a benevolent firm offering ¼ the odds on a place 1-2.
Having finished second of 19 in a handicap at Kempton in January, NEMEAN LION (2.05) can go one better when he lines up in the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton over a mile and seven furlongs.
Cute
MONVIEL (2.25) was found to have a fibrillating heart when he disappointed on his last run over fences, so it’s a cute move by the excellent Harry Derham to race him back over timber in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Handicap Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs.
He was fifth of 16 at Sandown n March in a race which has thrown up untold winners when rated 129 over the smaller obstacles, so he is handicapped to play a role in the finish running off a perch of 128. Hunt down a layer offering five places and back the well-treated creature at 8-1.
Gary Moore’s BOTOX HAS (2.40) must carry a 6lb penalty for a victory at Wetherby in November when he lines up for the Grade Two Virgin Bet Rendlesham Hurdle over three miles at Haydock Park, but this game frontrunner will carry my hard-earned around the 5-2 mark.
The mudlark showed his liking for course and distance when accounting for a dozen opponents in November 2022, and that heat threw up seven subsequent winners.
Caoilin Quinn gets on very well with the horse and although he can’t claim his 3lb allowance in this race, I expect the inform jockey to bounce out and make all the running.
Paul Nicholls has always stated that
THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE (3.00) is a better horse racing right-handed (his record racing going this way is 21111) so this consistent sort is begging to be backed at 6-1 each-way in the Injured Jockeys Fund Swinley Handicap Chase run over three miles.
My selection was runner-up at Cheltenham off a ledge of 150 in December for which he has been nudged up to 152.
Booted
But back racing clockwise, it’s hard to see him being booted out of the parcel with title-chasing Harry Cobden riding like a man possessed.
With the terrain at Haydock Park resembling Passchendaele, we need an animal with bottomless stamina in the Virgin Bet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over three and a half miles at Haydock Park.
IWILLDOIT (3.15) was third of 19 in the Coral Welsh National ran over three miles and six furlongs at Chepstow when rated 153 so he has every chance in this easier contest running off a perch of 149.
This ultra-game beast landed the same marathon test in 2022 and also a 13-runner three miles and five furlongs handicap at Warwick last January in very testing conditions. Snap up the 7-1 each-way.
If L’HOMME PRESSE (3.36) is to take his chance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 170-rated horse will have to capture the Betfair Ascot Chase run over three miles.