Racing tips: Top Of The Bill can bounce back on more suitable ground

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Our Pink Lady won in good fashion at Southwell, but it didn't seem like it would be as easy as it was as Cobden didn't look happy down the back straight. When she hit top gear, she managed to nick a few lengths from the runner-up and it was game, set and match after she pinged the last hurdle.

Exeter 3:00 – Raffle Ticket 2/1 (1pt)

I've always had a soft spot for Veterans' races, and I think you can often find decent value in them. Today's race is a bit different as I am opting for the favourite, but it seems a bit odd to even call Raffle Ticket a ‘Veteran' as he has only raced 11 times over rules.

Due to the nature of Raffle Ticket and how unexposed he is at the age of 10 I think he will have far too much for his opposition at Exeter. He has to carry a big weight around Exeter on soft (heavy in places), which isn't ideal, but I think he has the class to do it. My only concern is the ground, he isn't proven on this surface, with all of his wins coming on good to soft or better, so he will have to prove he handles these conditions, but his pedigree gives me optimism that he will be fine. If he handles the ground, I think there is only one winner in this race as the form he has shown from last time out is head and shoulders above the rest in this field. He beat Cruz Control by a head, the runner-up has since run a creditable race to finish 5th/12 in the Eider over 4m 2f and then won over 3m at Newcastle on the weekend just gone. On that performance, you might think that Raffle Ticket would struggle on this ground at this trip as the runner-up was catching him with every stride, but he has shown that he is a strong stayer, so I don't buy into Raffle Ticket not staying, it just looks worse as the runner-up is better over further. The third from the Doncaster race was 8.25L behind and he was 3rd at Kempton on the weekend in a race which was won by a bit of a gamble and a well-handicapped horse, so the form reads strong.

Harry Cobden is on board and as always, he is riding like a man possessed at the minute and he'll give this lad a confident ride.

Wetherby 3:45 – Top Of The Bill 4/1 (1pt)

I am more than happy to give Top Of The Bill the benefit of the doubt from him lacklustre performance on heavy ground at Exeter last time out. Prior to that, he looked like a very progressive horse who handles soft ground, but the bottomless ground looked to be a step too far last time, and on a slightly better surface at Wetherby (soft), he deserves another chance.

This race doesn't look the best and I can pick holes in the others in this field, so at the odds I thought Top Of The Bill stood out as a decent bet. He is still unexposed as a chaser with 2 wins from 5 runs and the manner he won his two races at Exeter prior to lto was very impressive. He went up 8lbs for his most recent win, but has since been dropped 2lbs and I think that gives me a superb chance of winning this. The Changing Man was 18L back in fourth when Top Of The Bill last won and he went on to finish a close second at Uttoxeter on the weekend, and the third Hauraki Gulf won on his next start beating Lord Of Kerak who is in today's race.

I deem Shighness to be the main threat. This horse is a strange one, she is probably on a good mark and races off a low weight, but she often throws out a couple of honking runs and last time out when I tipped her up, she was never put into the race. Whether her last run was by design, as the yard is known to be like that, who knows?

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