Racing tips: Exeter course regular St Erney holds strong claims of repeating last years win

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Sedgefield's final two races of the day were called off as the meeting was abandoned due to the unsafe track. There were two deaths at Sedgefield yesterday (I think), and I think that played a big part in the reason for calling it off. As a result of the meeting being abandoned, my selection was a NR so I had no runner on Thursday.

Exeter 3:00

Jackie Du Plessis gave me a winner in recent weeks at this track when landing back-to-back wins in the race for Forget You Not. She is a decent trainer and does very well at this track, and I am hoping they can do the same as they did with Forget You Not, but this time with ST ERNEY who won this race 12 months ago.

St Erney is getting into the twilight part of his career, but at the age off 11 I still think he is dangerous to underestimate at a track her runs very well and a race at which he has obviously been targetted. It's weird to say he is actually a lightly raced horse for his age, but he has only run 12 times, so his age probably doesn't play that much as a concern as it usually would as he'd hardly got any miles on the clock. I wouldn't say he's extremely well-handicapped off his current handicap mark, but he has won off 7lb higher back in 2019, so based on that he should have a good chance in this. He won this race off a mark of 110 last year, so is 5lb higher this time around, but is more than capable off 115 as he went close the time after off today's mark, where he finished 2nd.

Harry Kimber takes the ride and takes off a handy 5lbs. With that 5lb it means he runs off 10st 8lbs, which is the clear bottom weight and based on that I think he is a huge EW player in this contest. You have higher-rated, unexposed horses who are better than him, but will they be ready for this run the first time out when this has been his target?

Exeter 3:35

The Haldon Gold Cup is always a good race for the start of the jumps season and today's renewal is another cracking race full of horses you'd like to see. You have the class angle in the form of Greaneteen who has to carry 11st 12lbs, and you have some of the progressive horses who will want to be in the mix for Grade 1's this year like THIRD TIME LUCKI, who is my selection for the race.

Greaneteen will run well in this, but off that weight in a handicap against some nice 2nd season chasers, I think that's a huge ask. Also, the Tingle Creek will be the early season target for him, so chances are that he'll be undercooked for this race, with it not being the main target. For me, Third Time Lucki is the most likeliest winner and I get the impression a lot of punters will be thinking the same as me. For the most part, he is a sound jumper who bumped into a couple of nice novice chasers last year such as Edwardstone. In terms of the horses below him in the weights, they aren't close to the level of Edwardstone, so for that reason, they can be ignored, even though they are very good horses in their own right. If Third Time Lucki wasn't winning a race like this, then I'd be questioning where they'd be going for the rest of the season, as Grade 1's would surely have to be off the table.

If this becomes a stamina test, then War Lord is the one to keep an eye on in the final furlongs as he stays further than today's trip, but I don't think he possesses the same amount of class as Third Time Lucki. Dolos is a good horse who has had a very nice career, off his current rating he'd have to probably run a career best to win this, and in Graded company like this, I think he has something to prove.

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