Racing tips: Today’s longer trip will bring out the improvement required to win for Tfou

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

All three selections on Wednesday were duds. I think the Venetia Williams horse is worth tracking, based on he went four wide all race, travelled nicely but emptied out rather quickly. Fitness was always a risk but it clearly was a big factor in his run. 

Breizh Alko was pathetic. Honestly, I don't have any words for it, and the ride suggested that he had no chance, never putting him in the race. Brian Hughes does that a lot these days. Mercian Omen ran an encouraging race to finish second and is another for the tracker. The winner looks like a nice horse for the future and Mercian Omen looks like a real stayer and will be better when switching to hurdles and fences in a couple of years' time.

I don't really rate today's racing, other than the two selections I am putting up. Their odds aren't great, but it's better than nothing and both have clear chances of winning.

Lingfield 12:55

I tipped up COOLVALLA on chase debut at the start of November. He was well backed, going off at 13/8 and he won by 7L. Today's race will be harder as the handicapper hasn't took any chances and has given him a 10lb rise, but based on the fact that it was his chase debut there is surely more to come.

Chris Gordon was in hot form when I tipped him up earlier this month, and he continues to bang in the winners so there's no reason to not follow him up and back him again. He won on the back of a 252 day layoff, so he's entitled to have come on for that run, and with that experience over fences, he should be better. His jumping was faultless at Fontwell, so there's not much to improve on in terms of jumping, but you'd like to think that a mark of 100 is within reach considering how easily he won last time out.

I thought he looked like a real stayer over 3m 2f, so the drop back in drip is a slight concern, but Lingfield is a track which does require a fair amount of stamina due to the undulations, so the drop back to 2m 7f shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially with the testing ground they'll encounter.

I'd be worried if the money arrives for Advantura who is making his chase debut off a low weight. He has a decent pedigree and should be better than his mark of 79, however it's his first run of the season and he might need the run.

Kelso 2:58

I can see why punters are backing Brayhill as he arrives in good form and has the course and distance form too, as well as Brian Hughes in the saddle which is often a go-to for many punters. However, I was taken by TFOU on chase debut at Ayr when staying on in strong fashion to beat a gambled on Gandhi Maker and was going away at the finish.

I think it's a good idea from connections to go up in trip with this horse as he looked like a dour stayer last time out. Kelso is a track which will find you out if you don't stay a certain trip, and the uphill finish can be a killer so it's a real statement to try him over today's trip for the first time at this track on testing ground, but I think it will suit.

The runner-up from Ayr was heavily gambled on by a notorious gambling owner. The horse probably should have won if it wasn't for fluffing a couple of the last fences but that goes to show how well handicapped Tfou was that he made up the ground to beat a horse who was clearly felt to be well handicapped. Tfou has been hit with a 9lb rise in the weights, which seems a little harsh but definitely surmountable for a lightly raced unexposed horse.

Horse Racing Tips

🔗 Share Your Horse Racing Tips on Social Media