We all make mistakes and on Monday morning, Ruth Jefferson entered the grey Cloudy Dream for husband Malcolm in the 3m 4f BetVictor Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday. The problem is she meant to enter the horse for the BetVictor Gold Cup over 2m 4f for which he had been very well backed in the antepost market.
We made the decision to refund all losing bets on the horse at BetVictor and many people have criticised the inflexibility of the BHA for not allowing the horse to be reinstated for what was just a human error. I cannot agree and believe the stance taken by the racing authorities to be correct.
Kylemore Lough remains 7/1 market leader at BetVictor although Festival scorer Tully East joined him at the head of the market yesterday and it is 10/1 Bar.
The ground was soft for last week's Haldon Gold Cup meeting at Exeter and conditions are described as soft (good to soft places) ahead of today's card. In the 3m handicap Chase Yanmare is a thorough stayer who remains open to further improvement, but can run in snatches and his jumping can be a bit hit and miss.
The vote goes to Bogoss Du Perret (2.00) who has been raised 8lbs for winning at Newton Abbot last month for the father and daughter combination of Jimmy and Bryony Frost. The latter is excellent value for her 5lbs claim and gave Present Man a wonderful ride when winning the Badger Ales chase at Wincanton on Saturday.
Yanworth (3.00) steps up in trip having made a winning chase debut over shorter here three weeks ago and this Grade 1 winning hurdler jumped well in the main. The selection must give 15lbs to Paul Nicholls' French import Chameron and this dual-winning hurdler and mare Briery Queen will ensure this is a proper test for Alan King's seven-year-old.
At Bangor-on-Dee Agamemmon (12.40) was well backed on his reappearance at Huntingdon having his first start for the yard of Tom George and he is entitled to come on for the experience and it will be interesting to see if connections try and recoup losses.
Top-weight Halo Moon has won his last three starts but the last of those was back in February 2016 and he is 5lbs higher this afternoon. That said, he represents the inform yard of Harry Fry and a market move would be worth noting.
The valuable listed Mares' Novices' Chase is a cracking heat and Dusky Legend (1.10) can reverse recent Worcester running with Rene's Girl on today's soft ground. The selection finished 20l behind the Dan Skelton mare last time but that was on fast ground and I have always felt Dusky Legend would make a decent chaser.
If The Cap Fits (2.20) was taken out of a race at Wincanton at the weekend when the rains arrived and connections must be optimistic that conditions in North Wales will be more suitable. The selection has only lost one of four career starts and made an encouraging hurdles debut when winning by 8l at Exeter last month.
At Ayr Blue Kascade will be all the rage under a 7lbs penalty following his facile Musselburgh success but I thought Nakadam (12.30) ran a race full of promise from a 1lb lower mark. That reappearance was over three furlongs shorter and today's step back up in trip will suit – the booking of Conor O'Farrell catches the eye.
Uncle Alastair (1.00) won both Bumper starts for Nicky Richards and it will be disappointing if he doesn't go close on his first start over timber with today's 2m 4f trip looking ideal.
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