Get me Onto This! 12/2/11 Column

The Totesport Trophy is the feature of a strong weekend of racing and is one of the strongest handicap hurdles of the season. A bumper field is expected, and with currently 23 horses declared, this means just one thing, value! This week’s first tip will single out GET ME OUT OF HERE to do the business here once more, after winning the 2010 running of this race. The horse will have the champion jockey AP McCoy aboard, who relishes and excels in races such as this. Get Me Out of Here won last year’s renewal before going onto finish a close second behind Menorah in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. He has run twice already this year, and has travelled very well before tiring near the end of his races, so the form figures of 67 do not tell the entire picture. The first race was after a 228 break, and provoked debate and the questionable ride given by AP McCoy, who was very gentle to say the least. The second run two weeks later was again positive before a bad mistake three from home ruined his chances. He will be fresh and raring to go and has the class and the form to win his second Totesport Trophy.

Another horse in the race of great interest is the Nicky Henderson trained SOLDATINO. Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner had his first appearance of the season in the Holloway’s Hurdle at Ascot three weeks ago and was given a fairly cautious ride from Barry Geraghty. This was still only the horses sixth lifetime run and third in this country. The highly touted youngster cantered into the lead 4 furlongs from home, but the 2miles 3 furlongs trip proved his undoing, and this trip should be ideal. Wit the previous run working off a lot of rust, the horse will have had the ideal preparation, and at the current price of 10/1, is in with a fantastic chance.

FRENCH OPERA runs in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase in the 3:00 at Newbury and given the field size is a very good each way chance. Since switching to fences the horse has an outstanding record with four wins and a second from 6 starts. The only unplaced outing was on his reappearance this season after a 266 day absence last month at Sandown, where he finished 34 lengths last of Cornas who also runs. However the horse blundered and made a bad mistake four fences from the finish when he was making headway. Woolcombe Folly is the deserved favourite due to his wins, and the style of his wins this year, posting a more impressive speed figure than Master Minded, but he is vulnerable.

My final selection is at the rearranged Leopardstown meeting, which will now take place on Sunday. There is a tremendous card on offer with four Grade 1 races. The most illustrious of which is the Hennesy Gold Cup, where my tip JONCOL is bidding to make it back-to-back victories. The horse’s trainer Paul Nolan has said the horse is in prime shape and is extremely confident that his stable star is in even grander order than when getting up on the line to better of Cooldine, winning in the end by a neck. This season the horse finished a good third in the Lexus Chase won by Pandorama, however this has been the horses main aim for the season, and with the Paul Nicholls trained Pride of Dulcote in the race, there is nothing else left that should be able to trouble the 8 year old.

Joncol 3.50 2pts win

Get Me out of Here 3.35 2pts win

Soldatino 3.35 1pt ew

French Opera 3.00 1pt ew