Midweek Tipping - February 1st - Newcastle, Ludlow and Leicester

Calgary Bay warmed the cockles of this perennial old man’s heart on Saturday, and bagged The Yorkshireman another 12/1 winner for his loyal followers. There are three National Hunt fixtures on Wednesday (1st Feb) and I have spotted something worth backing at all three venues.

Firstly going to Newcastle and a horse I was clued up about from a very good source: the recent recruit for the Donald McCain yard BOURNE. This fellow formerly raced on the flat for Luca Cumani and has shown great promise over obstacles. He won his maiden hurdle in fine style, keeping on well over 2 miles 3 furlongs in the soft ground at Catterick. He disappointed next time out over two miles on better ground in a Class 3 novices hurdle, when never really travelling. The form of his first win has worked out well, with the second horse Into Wain winning two subsequent hurdle races.

We’ve had plenty success following James and Keith Reveley this season and they have a runner at the meeting too, with DANCING ART looking to go better than last time when perhaps an unlucky runner up after just failing by a short head. James takes the leg up this time instead of Richie McGrath. Running here over two and a half miles, this could bring the best out of him and, off bottom weight in the handicap, should go well.

MOSCOW CHANCER runs for the in form Tom George stable at Leicester. The stable are currently operating at a 27% strike rate since the New Year and are clearly going all guns, with both Baby Mix and Ut De Sivola in the reckoning for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham. Moscow Chancer has gradually improved this season, with his best effort being a creditable third over course and distance 22 days ago. He should come on for the run (he was having his first run for 76 days last time out). The well bred gelding could throw in a good run in a race where he is chucked in on a very workable handicap mark.

Staying at Leicester, BIG EASY hacked up last Saturday, confirming market confidence when beating a good field at Doncaster, including hat-trick seeking Corkage. He runs here with a 7lb penalty but is due to go up 14lb next time. Providing he has eaten up and Saturday’s race has not taken too much out of him, he should be somewhat of a penalty kick under stable deputy Tom O’ Brien.

The final selection runs at Ludlow where our recently tipped up winner for the J P Ferguson yard, MONARCHS WAY, looks to build on a promising hurdling career which has seen him perform with credit in all starts since joining the stable. He won his debut foray into handicaps, getting up late on to win by a neck. Raised 8lb for that, he still ran well next time out, finishing fourth of fifteen runners at Warwick, losing by 3 ½ lengths in what looks on paper like a good race. He is still well handicapped, and jockey Mr J Owen has a good record in these amateur only events.

1.20 Newcastle – Bourne (Nap)
2.50 Newcastle – Dancing Art (Nb)
3.00 Leicester – Moscow Chancer
3.30 Leicester – Big Easy
3.40 Ludlow – Monarchs Way

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner / @JJMSports

A Family affair for the Reveley's at Southwell on Wednesday

A Family affair for the Reveley's at Southwell Wednesday

The weekend has thrown up a host of more questions, as opposed to answers. Swincombe Flame successfully taking the money in the William Hill Lanzariore Hurdle, under a terrific ride from young Will Kennedy, only to be tarnished with a 7 day ban for excessive use of the whip from the stewards under the shambolich new penalty system. Horses of note that come out well this weekend are Cotton Mill, Menorah, Saddlers Risk and others also laid down further credentials for their possible future dates at the Cheltenham Festival.

It has been another terrific week for the column's most promising young jockey JAMES REVELEY, who made a fine comeback from a potentially serioous concussion on Boxing Day with two winners on his first two runners back, completing a 70/1 double at Doncaster on Wednesday. He is back up north again Wednesday, with a terrific book of rides for his old man, and I think every single one of them has to be considered as having a good chance. In the last 12 months James has a 36% strike rate at Southwell, and in his last 11 rides there, has had 4 winners and a further 4 places.

Going through his rides, there are some with stronger claims than others, with an interesting one being SAMBELUCKY in the first. He has been in good form throughout the winter since winning a decent Catterick handicap, with the form coming out of the race working really well. He followed that up by a third, then a second at Huntingdon Friday, behind a seemingly well handicapped horse.
The best bet of the day looks certainly to be CORKAGE, who made amends for falling when seemingly having the race at his mercy at Catterick two starts ago, but duly obliged on James' first ride since injury at Doncaster in grand fashion. He travelled exceptionally well, and given the manner of his eight length victory, turned out under a 6lb penalty, he should be well ahead of the handicapper, to duly oblige for connections.

SAM D'OC was pulled up last time out after struggling with his jumping, when running in the same race as Sambelucky, when he finished third, and as such, is tried over hurdles here in the 1.45. The horse looked scared of the larger obstacles, and the move to hurdling could sparkle some old magic in the maiden, and could be a large price and a sleeper in the market.

NIGHT IN MILAN is another consistent sort who has been knocking on the door, with an unlucky second at Sedgfield, followed up by a rather laboured fourth at Market Rasen, when struggling with a 5lb hike from the handicapper. The well bred son of Milan carries the famous colours of Mr Richard Collins, and those have been seen to great effect this year, the white silks, with a blue V and a pink hat. The trainer/owner combo has placed in 45% of all stats, a comforting stat, and will be hoping to build on only one win in the last six weeks.

OAKSLANDS ELISE runs in the last, a National Hunt Flat race, and on paper, looks a very interesting prospect. Bred out of a multiple winning mare, and comes from a successful family, including two half brothers who have both won bumpers in the last 18 months. The stable are usually quite good at getting them ready first time out, with a 27% strike rate showing a +£7 profit to a £1 stake backing them in NHF races,

12.40 Southwell - Sambelucky (Nb)
13.10 Southwell - Corkage (Nap)
13.45 Southwell - Sam D'oc
14.50 Southwell - Night in Milan
15.55 Southwell - Oaklands Elise

The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner @JJMSports

Wednesday 30th March 2011 Selections

The flat season is officially back on Wednesday, with an arguably anticlimactic seasonal opener at Catterick races. Although the season usually starts with the prestigious Lincoln handicap at Doncaster, this season sees a fresh approach, and the top northern jockeys and trainers alike are out in force. It may not have the same buzz as the Lincoln, but there will still be a great atmosphere and a chance to pick a couple of nice priced winners.

One of the leading northern partnerships is trainer David ‘Dandy’ Nicholls and son Adrian Nicholls. They have two leading fancies Wednesday, the first being the promising maiden SINADINOU. He seeks to lose his maiden tag at the third attempt in the 4.20 race and clearly has a lot going for him. He has been running on all weather tracks in a bid to get off the mark, and the change to turf, based on breeding, should suit. He has the highest official rating, and connections took the exact same race last year, so clearly know how to get a horse ready for the start of the season.

The Nicholls family could be celebrating at double at the track with their other runner, FREMEN, who runs in a claimer race, with son Adrian once again booked to be on board. He has ran fantastically well in these type of races last year, going on a run of 8 victories in 9 races during 2009/2010, especially thriving in the early parts of last season completing a hatrick when winning at Musslburgh in June. He had his first run in 139 days when finishing a tiring 5^th at Southwell, and the help of a run, and should run a very good race. He has the added benefit of being officially 2lb worse off of nearest rival thrust control, but will be 6lb better in at the weights.

Wednesday may be the start of the flat season, but there is still very good national hunt racing on, and with upcoming festivals at Aintree and Punchestowns, not to mention Sandown and Galway, eyes are still peeled to notice jockey and trainers who are at the top of their game. A partnership having a very good year is Phillip Hobbs and Richard Johnson, Racing Post Trophy and Arkle winners, who have a runner in the 2.50 novice chase at Hereford races on Wednesday. Since switching to novice chasing, the horse has been extremely unlucky to encounter some very tough opposition. His last three runs, he has come unstuck against Chicago Grey (National Hunt Chase Winner), Wayward Prince (One length third in the RSA Chase) and Time For Rupert (RSA Chase favourite). There looks to be nothing of that level of standard this time, and providing his jumping is up to scratch, he should prevail here.

Wednesday 30^th March 2011

Balthazar King 3.10 Hereford

Fremen 3.50 Catterick

Sinadinou 4.20 Catterick

The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner