Racing tips: Irish Raider Faith Du Val offers great value versus the short priced fav

This tip has expired. Please check our free horse racing tips section of the website to find the most up to date.

William Cody finally got off the mark and won his first race over rules at the 12th time of asking (I think) and the 2nd time over fences. I'm glad he won, not only because it benefits my betting balance, but also because it means the horse which did beat him by 20L at Market Rasen had an off day last time at Musselburgh and is probably worth backing again. 

Bangor-on-Dee 1:25

Found On was a lovely winner for us at the Cheltenham October meeting winning at 8/1 or slightly bigger, I can't remember as I've slept since 🤣. I can see why she is the favourite in this race, but if we're being honest today's conditions aren't ideal. She is a great jumper and will try and make all like she has done on multiple occasions already, but over this trip, she will have to show she has the speed to do it. I thought the drop from 3m to 2m 5f wasn't going to cause any problems, but to drop to 2m 1.5f does ask further questions, especially on soft ground which she prefers a sounder surface. I couldn't stop anyone from backing her, as she is a lovely horse but I think at the odds at today's course and distance I'll be siding against her.

If Voice Of Calm jumped better on chasing debut at Worcester last time I would probably be a backer of her, but she didn't fill me with much trust. I've done it before where I've given a horse the benefit of the doubt and was hoping they'd improve for the chase experience but turns out fences weren't made for them, which happens to a fair amount of horses. Her jumping was sketchy but she travelled like a dream and I expected this drop in trip to suit, but potentially hinder her jumping even more as they'll be going a quicker pace, plus the soft ground raises a couple of eyebrows.

So with that being said, I've landed on FAITH DU VAL which might not come as a surprise and will probably be strong in the market due to being an Irish raider who won with plenty in hand on chase debut. Granted, she didn't probably beat much that day at Sligo, but there's an old saying “you can only beat what's put in front of you” and that's true. She comes into this race a total unknown, she could be a much better chaser than a hurdler (rated 111, rated 125 after one run over fences) or she was flattered on her only run over fences. At the odds, I think she is worth a small risk against a favourite who could be tough to beat. Faith Du Val jumped well enough on debut to suggest she should have a future over fences, she was sketchy at one or two, but with that experience, I expect a clean round of jumping, and I don't have any doubts about the ground.

Bangor-on-Dee 2:00

I could be barking up the wrong tree with my theory behind my selection, but I'm going to be backing him anyway as I don't like going against my gut.

MINELLA BOBO is my pick in this £20k handicap which always has a good renewal, and this year is no different with some old favourites making an appearance (Blaklion & Bennys King) as well as some younger horses who are on the up. For me, the recent run could be a huge factor, combining that with the low weight. I don't think the ground will be extremely testing as they aren't expecting any more rain from now (7pm Tuesday) to the time of racing, but carrying a low weight is never a disadvantage, especially over 3m+.

The recent run came over hurdles and came over a trip which is probably far too short for him at this point in his career. That to me signals it was a prep run for something they had planned for quite a while, and I think that race they had in mind was this as it is a decent prize to win. I think it was clear as day that was a fitness run, he lead and would've gone a good gallop over a trip far too short to blow away the cobwebs and enhance his fitness for today's race. Another thing to note is that the headgear is back on for today's run, which is another signal that they are going for it. He is still lightly raced over fences, with two wins from seven runs, winning nicely the time before last over fences at Ffos Las by 11L which saw him go up 5lbs. You can ignore the run at Cheltenham last October as he's clearly had problems and it was a decent time away from the track. If his problems have been cured (if he did have them, but the time off the track between runs would suggest he has) then he has a fighting chance in this and is a definite EW player.

Horse Racing Tips

🔗 Share Your Horse Racing Tips on Social Media