Racing tips: Summer Night City has the jumps pedigree to make a winning debut

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I can't understand why Harry Skelton decided to hold up West To The Bridge. He is best seen to effect when he runs from the front, which he has done seasons on end now, so why would he anchor the horse in last place especially when he couldn't get him to settle. The horse finished 1.5L back in second, and it just seemed like a typical Skelton mistake and trying to be too cute, which he does on a regular basis.

Cedar Hill was another horse who finished as runner-up. I don't understand how the ground wasn't softer than good to soft, soft in places when the forecast was suggesting torrential rain overnight for nearly every hour. Whether or not that would've made a difference, I'm not sure, as the winner was well on top, but when things aren't going your way it becomes painful. Betting is swing and roundabouts and the tide will turn again, and the plenty of bad rides I've seen this week won't be on the future horses.

Stratford 2:40 – Summer Night City 9/4 (1pt)

Juvenile hurdlers are often to read, especially all unraced ones, but Summer Night City definitely has the best pedigree in this lineup, for jumps racing anyway.

This juvenile hurdler is a full brother to two hurdle winners, Lady Reset trained by David Pipe who has won four races over obstacles and Luckinthecity who is 1/1 for Willie Mullins from his only bumper race. The Mare has been a good servant to the Brookhouse family who own this horse, as she has produced some flat winners as well. The sire of Summer Night City has produced some decent jumpers in his time as a stallion including Onemorefortheroad and Lucky Zebo who were both hitting RPRs in the 130 in their pomp.

Ben Brookhouse has started very well as a trainer for his family and his recent form is up there with the best over the last fortnight, so he is clearly targeting the right races at the right time with the correct horses. He has had 5 winners from 8 runners (63% SR) in the last fourteen days and he is 2/4 with his hurdlers so far this jumps season. As well as potentially having the best jumps pedigree in this race, I think his pedigree suggests the good ground that he'll encounter will be right up his street. The Mare was a winner on fast ground on the flat, and her main winning progeny, Lady Reset, won all of her races over hurdles and the flat on good ground or better.

Stratford 4:10 – Jack Sprat 5/1 (1pt)

I think it's easy to see why Myrstica and Hourless are at the top of the market in this race, but I'm not totally sold on the pair and I think Jack Sprat has a better chance than the drift in odds would suggest.

Myrstica was a useful flat horse when trained by Tim Easterby, being rated in the 80s. She has made a nice transition to hurdles under David Pipe, but she has won at very short odds on a three of her runs, and hasn't beaten much. She ran to her level of form last time out, recording an RPR of 112 whilst having the same rating, so it's hardly like she is well-handicapped. On hurdles debut she finished 2nd to a horse who has won a couple of races but doesn't seem particularly well-handicapped either, and when she gets a decent level of opposition for the grade she can't win, which makes me think Myrstica will struggle to carry such a big weight around today. Hourless is 1/2 over hurdles and is a juvenile so gets into this race carrying a much lower weight for the rating she has. However, even though she beat a horse who has since gone on to win a nice race since and the very same horse reversed the form with Hourless, I don't believe that is reliable form. 3yo form of this time of year is very difficult to weigh up, but now she is against the older horses I think she has to be taken on, especially with a flat rating of 42.

Jack Sprat catches the eye on handicap debut for a shrewd trainer in Jamie Snowden. Jamie does very well and has a great strike rate, he knows what time of day it is and with a horse like Jack Sprat who has a nice jumps pedigree being by Walk In The Park and out of a Flemensfirth mare who won 3 races over hurdles and was placed a further 5 times in her 13 run career, there has to be more to come from this 97 rated horse, especially when his full-sister won on hurdles debut for Henry De Bromhead producing an RPR of 117 in the process. He was well-fancied last time out at Wincanton when he stayed on very strongly, the form isn't up to much, but considering the money was down, I think they believe this horse is better than what he has shown so far. Good ground looks ideal based on the pedigree with his mum and sister winning on good ground, and the longer trip should be up his street as his sister opened up her career over 2m 4f.

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