Talking Horses: best bets for Monday’s racing plus our competition

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/oct/20/talking-horses-best-bets-racing-competition

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Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook

So what’s left of the Flat season? Just the Racing Post Trophy on Saturday and the Breeders’ Cup ballyhoo the following weekend. Jump racing is about to take over and it’s time for committed fans of twig-hopping to become excited.

Well, almost time. Today’s jumps action comes from Plumpton and is serviceable rather than thrilling. If today’s card is enough to get your cheeks flushed, you’ll be needing oxygen when the real stuff comes along next month.

Horses who make their chasing debut in a handicap are usually interesting and I like Catcher Star (5.00) at around 9-2, with him having attracted some support this morning. He has looked the sort to need time and fences, although he managed to win at Wetherby on Boxing Day on his handicap debut over hurdles.

He’s only 4lb higher than that after a couple of subsequent defeats and should do much better in this sphere. There’s no guarantee it will be today but I’d like to be with him first time over fences in what is not a strong race.

Doc Hay (3.10) is interesting on Pontefract’s Flat card. His only win from his last 15 starts, going back more than a year, has been in a claimer but the consequence is that his mark has dropped to 85, 18lb below its peak of last autumn.

He has won four handicaps off higher marks and copes well with soft ground, which he hasn’t often had during his losing run but will get today. He’s been back with David O’Meara for more than a month now and I should think it’s a pretty safe bet that he’ll get Doc Hay winning again at some point.

You can have 11-1 if you agree with me that it might be today, in a race he won three years ago. He was nearest at the finish on a faster surface at Musselburgh last time.

Tipping competition – a new week

Congratulations to GForce1, who picked Sybarite (10-1) to win last week’s competition on a final score of +12.60. Goofs tied for second with Sportingbest on +11.

This week’s prize is a pair of tickets to Sandown’s first jumps meeting of the new season on Saturday 8 November. It’s Gentlemen’s Day, with live music from Rockaoke (who offer you the chance to join in, apparently) and a best-dressed gent competition. You can read more about it and buy tickets here.

To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 3.40 Pontefract, 4.00 Plumpton, 4.40 Pontefract.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

For terms and conditions click here.

Good luck!

Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.

And post your tips or racing-related comments below.