Horses for Sale
- Saturday, 20 February 2016 07:32
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There is a big day of action to look forward to with jumps cards from Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton as well as an all-weather fixture from Lingfield. The stable has runners at Ascot and Haydock. Vieux Lion Rouge contests the Listed Handicap Chase at Ascot at 2.25pm - he unseated rider last time but was previously a good winner at Haydock. Meanwhile, juvenile Fingertips runs in the 3.00pm race which looks extremely competitive as you would expect of a race with £45,000 in prize money. He was in the process of running a big race when coming to grief at the last at Sandown last time but he gets in here on a nice weight of 10-2 and deserves his place in the line-up. Dynaste (pictured above) was disappointing last time out over timber but reverts to fences with a pair of first time blinkers and it will be interesting to see how he gets on against old foe Silviniaco Conti in the Betfair Chase at 3.35pm. What A Moment completes the line-up at 4.10pm and he is a promising individual.
Over at Haydock Broadway Buffalo takes in the Grand National Trial and he is ridden by Katie Walsh who was runner-up aboard our gelding in the four miler at the Cheltenham Festival last season. Our other runner, Taj Badalandabad looks to hold solid claims in the Pertemps Qualifier - it is the same sort of race that he was victorious in last time, although this is another competitive contest and he has a higher handicap mark.
What about Victoria Pendleton yesterday at Fakenham? She had a gentle nudge from another runner and promptly parted company with her mount Pacha du Polder. I am sorry I cannot be more positive, but I really can't see her jumping around Cheltenham in a race with loads of runners. She may have been a shade unlucky here, but it can't fill you with confidence for her future rides. I hope you didn't back her at odds-on today...worst value of the season. It just goes to show the skill of the lads that do this for a living day in and day out, making the job look easy to the likes of me, the greatest jockey in the grandstand!
*****
Looking at today's FA Cup fifth round matches there look to be a few backable sides. Arsenal at 4/7 and Watford at 4/6 look worth a wager and I will be having a crafty little double.
Having commented on the 24 tennis matches that were being investigated for suspicious betting patterns yesterday, that number has now been revised to 73! Those were just matches taking place in 2015, I wonder how many more they will look into?
