Providing Storm Eunice doesn’t affect tomorrow’s racing it looks quite an interesting day and one that I appear to have become quite involved in.
The Reynoldstown doesn’t look an overly strong renewal and it usually goes the way of a dour stayer which I think FERN HILL is. He impressed me on chase debut when just getting touched off by Come On Teddy and has since backed that up with a sound run at Newbury. The demands of this race should suit him well and I think he is over priced at 8/1.
I couldn’t believe the price of FORTESCUE when bookies opened up last night. Henry Daly is a 12/1 shot with some firms for the Swinley Chase and he comes here off the back of a fine effort up the rear end of Royale Pagaille & Sam Brown. That was a very good run and the handicapper was quite generous leaving him on the same mark. That wasn’t his only good run this season and he looks a solid play here.
You will note I’m pretty reliant on the Henry Daly stable today. FLASHJACK is at a bit of a cross roads in his career and this run will tell us a lot more but if he is to bounce back then a heavy ground Haydock is where he is going to do it. He is 9lb below his last winning mark and just relishes these conditions. At 12/1 he too offers real value and a chance is taken that he still wants to compete.
I’ve been waiting for BRAGANZA BAY to reappear for what will be his handicap debut. He has caught my eye in his qualifying runs this season and being such a well related type I was always sure he would be better than the mark he gets awarded. He eventually got 103 but Ben Godfrey negates 3lb of that tomorrow so officially running off a mark of 100 in a weak-ish handicap hurdle at Wincanton. I think he will prove to be very well handicapped.
Ascot 1.50 – Fern Hill
Ascot 2.25 – Fortescue
Haydock 3.15 – Flashjack
Wincanton 5.05 – Braganza Bay
