The Jockey Club announced yesterday that once again they will give a £1m bonus to the connections of any horse who wins the Jumps Triple Crown of Betfair Chase, King George and Gold Cup in the forthcoming jumps season. BetVictor bet 33/1 the Million is won this season and remember Cue Card came so close to winning it last season and the great Kauto Star won the prize a decade ago.
A good midweek card at Yarmouth this afternoon with the feature race a £20,000 mile-and-a-half handicap for the classic generation. You're Hired (3.20) gets the vote with Ryan Moore taking over in the saddle stepping up in trip having looked as if he would appreciate further when not quite landing the hat-trick at Goodwood last time over 10f.
The selection has looked a most progressive sort of late, especially when defying a poor draw back at Goodwood in a valuable handicap at their Glorious Meeting. Trained by Amanda Perrett the and he can beat another progressive sort in recent course winner Rockspirit who is only 5lbs higher than when scoring over 10f here last month. Note Frankie Dettori rode Rockspirit last time but he is claimed to ride the lightly-raced Chelmsford winner Haddajah in the colours of Al Shaqab racing; all-in-all a cracking contest despite only six due to go to post.
The form of Celestial Spheres (2.50) second at Goodwood last time was given a boost when the winner followed up in a Doncaster nursery last week off a mark of 85 and the Godolphin runner could be well treated from an opening mark of 80.
The 6f Conditions race is tricky and I wonder if Martin Harley lets Outback Traveller bowl along in front if none of his three rivals want to make the running. The selection won the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot back in June and has run well on or near the lead in the past although he is, arguably, better ridden for a turn of foot. He hasn't been seen on the track, however, since finishing last dropped back to the minimum distance at York over two months ago and is overlooked in favour of another former Wokingham winner Baccarat (4.20).
The selection has only won once since that 2014 success, when trained by Richard Fahey, but has run some good races in defeat of late and deserves to get his head back in front. Another who would ideally want a strong pace to track and it promises to be a fascinating tactical battle.
Martin Dwyer has been “jocked off” You're Hired but can make it into the winners' enclosure courtesy of Port Isaac (4.50) who can go one better than when finishing second at Salisbury on debut. The obvious danger looks to be the well-bred newcomer Blynx and a market move would be significant for the filly representing the in-form yard of David Simcock.
At Listowel there is a fascinating Beginners Chase featuring the chase debut of Ball D'Arc (4.25) and Gordon Elliot's 5-year-old will not be inconvenienced by the forecast soft ground. The selection was a Grade 2 winner over timber earlier in the year and won a point-to-point before joining his present connections.
There is a valuable 4-y-old handicap hurdle and it is hard to get away from the chances of likely market leader Swamp Fox (4.55) who has looked a progressive stayer on the flat of late winning a valuable handicap at Galway back in July. At a much bigger price (tissue 25/1 at BetVictor) Tiliver might be best caught fresh and he is fitted with a tongue tie for the first time by trainer Alan Fleming for leading owner Barry O'Connell.
For all your weekend odds check out BetVictor.com.
