We started to get back into the swing yesterday with a few double-digit e/w shots, but the bruised boxing day ego still took a hit, when my favourite rails bookmaker, Simon Wallis, sent me an email. In it, he thanked me for my tips, which he had laid to great effect and thus offset a couple of miserable days at Kempton. Bloody Cheek. In another email, a Jackie Lawson card arrived – one of those animated cards that are full of scampering children and cutesy dogs and shire-horses that look Animal Farm’ish. This card came with New Year greetings and the message suggested the card’s images were to remind me what animals looked like when they had broken out of a walk! Damned and Bloody Cheek!
Today is the day when tech presents are installed. Each one takes exactly 1½ times longer to install than an Ikea eight-piece bedside table would take to erect. Experience counts for nothing, thus a present of voice-activated light-bulbs doubles the installation time of an Alexa Dot. As I write, it is safe to assume I shall not see Madame until sometime in 2021, subject to the electricity supply remaining intact.
Talking of the triumph of Hope over Experience, here are today’s tips:
1:15 LEOPARDSTOWN Leopardstown Christmas Hdl (G1) (4yo+) 3m
FURY ROAD Win
1:30 CATTERICK Sky Bet Money Back As Cash Hcap Hdl Cl3 (3yo+ 0-140) 1m7½f
MISS HERITAGE Win
1:50 LEOPARDSTOWN Irish Daily Star Christmas Hcap Hdl (4yo+ 80-116) 2m4f
BURLESQUE QUEEN e/w
2:00 CATTERICK Sky Bet Price Boost Promise Mares’ Novices’ Hdl Cl4 (4yo+) 1m7½f
GAMESTERS ICON e/w
2:25 LEOPARDSTOWN Savills Chase (G1) (5yo+) 3m
This is a very good pointer to The Gold Cup and as a generality, the winner of this is almost certain to figure in the top 5 there. This is also a decent renewal, and features the last two winners, KEMBOY and DELTA WORK. The current favourite is MINELLA INDO and he is a young chaser on the up and this is his chance to win his first G1 chase. However, I’m surprised to see SAMCRO at near 10s and he looks great e/w value.
MINELLA INDO win – SAMCRO e/w
2:45 LIMERICK Tim Duggan Memorial Hcap Chase (GB) (5yo+ 0-150) 2m3½f
WESTERNER POINT e/w
3:00 LEOPARDSTOWN Ballymaloe Foods Beginners Chase (4yo+) 2m5f
THE BIG GETAWAY and CEDARWOOD ROAD should theoretically have this between them, but they have both managed to disappoint recently. I’m taking a chnce on Henry de Bromhead having worked on FULLY CHARGED jumping and 20/1 is too big.
FULLY CHARGED e/w
3:07 CATTERICK Tim Davenport One That Got Away Hcap Hdl Cl4 (4yo+ 0-110) 3m1½f
TOI STOREY Win – TAWSEEF e/w