Racing tips: Rainday Woman should be very tough to beat in the Listed Mares Hurdle

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Yesterday's busy day full of selections paid off, as two were winners and two others were placed, including a 22/1 winner at Doncaster in Sultans Pride who put in a strong staying performance. 

Taunton 2:25

This Listed Mares' Novice Hurdle doesn't look that strong, and I think it's worth siding with the short priced favourite, as she has been impressive in her starts so far this season. RAINYDAY WOMAN was a very good bumper horse, and she recorded an RPR of 119 in that sphere when she won a Class 1 Listed bumper by 3.25L. Since then she has managed to rack up two wins from three attempts over hurdles, with the last two wins being done in easy fashion by a combined 18.5L. Granted those wins weren't against classy horses, but the manor in which she dealt with them suggested she was above average. The drop in trip might concern some, but in my opinion it could be better for her, as she does tend to race freely, so a faster pace which is more likely over this trip will help her settle.

Taunton 3:30

Unfortunately, I was on the receiving end of the well-supported TIP TOP CAT last time he ran at Exeter, as I had the eventual 6th placed horse in that race. The way he made smooth progress through the field was eye-catching, and I thought it was impressive the way he won. Obviously, the level of this race is much harder in comparison to the previous two races he has won, but he is still lightly raced, and appears to be a better horse now he is under the training abilities of Fergal O'Brien. He got a 8lb rise in the weights for his most recent win, but 3lbs is reduced from the 8 as Liam Harrison comes back aboard. Liam is arguably one of the stories for the breakthrough talents so far this season as he is currently operating at a 25% SR from 114 runs (28 wins). He is a very good rider, so the fact he replaces Paddy Brennan isn't exactly a negative. The step back up to 3m looks like a positive, as even though he clearly has the pace for shorter trips, he looked suited to longer in his previous win. He'll need to improve to win this, but from a relatively light weight in comparison to the field, he could do that.

Haydock 1:00

This is a very fascinating race, and is full of horse who will play big parts in the novice ranks in some nice handicaps at some point during this season. The one I'm siding with is MINT CONDITION who should love today's conditions at Haydock. He made a very pleasing start to his chasing career at the start of December where he finished a neck behind Kiltealy Briggs who has somewhat franked the form by a decent margin after that horse ran well in a Grade 1 for a long way before eventually being outclassed by the smart horses in that division.

Haydock 2:05

A horse who I've been wanting to back for some time since I last saw him race is CHEF D'OEUVRE as I was quietly confident that he was running himself into form, and if they upped him in trip then he would be a major contender, and that is what they have decided to do. This lad was 3rd behind the well-handicapped Saint Palais, who won yesterday, and looks a nice chaser for the future, but when they met he was 10lbs lighter than what he was yesterday, and he won it in a canter. That day at Wetherby he was running on late in the race, and it looked like he was in need of a strong stamina test, which he gets today over 4f further and on soft ground which should also suit. He gets into this race as bottom weight, which is always a help in testing conditions, and I think he is still capable of winning a race of this nature at the age of 10yo, on a track which he seems to enjoy.

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