Racing tips: Northern Bound heads North to Wetherby in attempt to land the Four-Timer

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

Yesterday was an agonising one to say the least. Both selections were beat by a neck, but sometimes it happens and on other occasions both win by the same margin, but its swings and roundabouts and you've got to keep cracking on!

Wetherby 2:00

A horse who might find this race the toughest he's had to face, but is still open to improvement is, NORTHERN BOUND. This lad is in cracking form, and can land the four-timer, despite being upped in class.

There is way too many question marks about the vast majority of horses in this race, and that is why I believe Northern Bound can land the fourth win in a row, as he is clearly progressing and is the form horse. Since Ben Pauling made the decision to send him back over fences he has been a revelation. He was previously tried over fences late last year, but then went back over hurdles where his form tailed off a bit, but since he's returned to chasing this season he looks a totally different horse and I think the stable form is a lot to do with that. Over the last couple of seasons, Ben has struggled for form for long periods of the jumps season, but this season he has hit the ground running and I think Northern Bound is a beneficiary of this.

This trip should be fine for the selection as he seems quite versatile with what trips he can race over. He has won over slightly longer and has won over shorter, and the ground should be perfectly fine for him, as long as the forecast is correct and we don't get tonnes of rain. If the ground does go soft, I do think that Ben and the owners will pull him out of this race, as he is clearly best on a sound surface.

I think a couple in this race are worth noting, and they are Cracking Destiny and Schiehallion Munro. The latter is a brilliant horse from the front, but might struggle to give the weight away to Northern Bound, especially on season reappearance where he might need the run. Cracking Destiny ran well last time out, but is probably handicapped right and might struggle off his current mark, but nevertheless will run a solid race like he usually does.

Cheltenham 2:50

With this being a Class 1 handicap and not running off level weights I do think that DRAGON BONES is the one to be on for this race, as a mark of 132 is surely low and makes her well treated in a race of this nature.

Going through the race, I can only really say a handful of horses will take a part based on the form we've seen. Those who I think will run well other than the selection is Proschema and Ballymillsy. The former travelled extremely well last time at Wetherby, and backers of that horse probably gave Harry Skelton a few pelters for the way he rode him. He was riding Proschema very cold that day, which you'd expect when he's trying the trip for the first time, but he seemed confident when approaching the final bend, but the horse didn't quite stay on as well as the winner. Wetherby is a flat track, and the flat he got outstayed that day suggests that this trip at a track like Cheltenham might find him out when Harry has to pop the quesiton. Ballymillsy won last time out and looked good in doing so, I think he will appreciate the drop in trip on a stiff track like this, but he looked well held when he met Dragon Bones back in April. He fell at the last, but Dragon Bones was going to cruise past when she wanted to, and now he has to give weight away to the selection, so I can't see a reverse in that form.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the selection going off favourite, as her most recent run was nothing to be ashamed of, to finish 2nd to a very strong stayer and a horse who looks talented in Bardenstown Lad. There is a possibility that she wasn't 100% for that race last time out as it was her first race in 170 days, so she could strip even fitter for this. Ian Williams and the owners The Dttw Partnership landed this race back in 2018 with the late First Assignment, so they clearly know what kind of horse is takes to win this, and funnily enough with Charlie Todds' 3lb claim, she will run off 10st 9lbs like First Assignment did.

Cheltenham 3:25

When the Irish send over a runner to the UK it is always worth a second look, but when they send them over for the early Cheltenham meetings they need to be taken very seriously, and I do believe that GOOD TIME JONNY could enhance the Irish record at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Similar to the last race, even though it might appear competitive on paper, I don't think it is. I whittled this race down to a couple again, and those were Mackleduff and Good Time Jonny. I sided with the latter as I think he could be still well handicapped and underestimated from his Irish form, so will offer better value. I think both horses will enjoy the stiff track and the faster they go in this the better it will be. Mackleduff has opened up at odds which are simply too short for me to get stuck in to, and that's down to the yard being in red-hot form. However, Tony Martin does not send many runners to the UK, and he does like a little gamble, so if the money arrives for this one, that would make me even more confident.

This horse was a decent bumper horse, he has course experience from when he finished 9th in the Champion Bumper at the Festival. He was comfortably beaten, but nonetheless it was a good run and it shows that he somewhat handles the track. Bumpers were never going to be the be all and end all for this horse, as even though he does have a decent turn of foot, the longer distances which he now races over will show his real quality. His last two runs have shown that his form has gone to a new level since the extra yardage. His 3rd placed finish at Listowel behind some decent horses in Run For Oscar (133 rated) & Wolf Prince (133 rated) was a cracking effort, and he obliged the time after by winning easily at Gowran Park by 5L. He came under a bit of pressure that day, but when he got into top gear, he showed he was a level above that field and he hit the line strongly. This track and trip should be right up his street, and like I mentioned before, hopefully a decent pace is set, as he will be staying on when others aren't. Also, another thing to note is his hurdling. He seems to jump low, but that is economical as he spends less time in the air and keeps him momentum up.

Horse Racing Tips

🔗 Share Your Horse Racing Tips on Social Media