Getting one from two isn't a bad return for a Saturday, where the racing is always very competitive.
Tankardstown Diva jumped well, travelled well, but didn't have the class at the back end of the race. She is still a very solid mare for handicaps, but maybe will struggle when trying to bridge the gap to the better quality horses off level weights.
Diamond Dealer did what Diamond Dealer does. He is a fantastic front-runner who puts pressure on his rivals at every fence. He didn't meet every fence on a good stride, but he doesn't lose momentum when making small mistakes. It looked like he was going to get swamped by the better travelling runner-up, but Diamond Dealer is tough as teak and battled hard.
Marty McFly 11/2 (1pt) – Carlisle 3.17
I tipped against Marty McFly last time out at Catterick with a horse who was backed in very heavily into the 1/2F. I decided to take Marty McFly on despite winning three races in a row because I didn't rate the form, but turns out he's a very progressive horse.
Since he has won three in a row, his handicap rating has skyrocketed, and with every win comes a harder challenge. On the back of his impressive display last time out, I have to give him a chance, in the belief that he is still on a good handicap mark.
Even though my horse fell short against Marty McFly, I am still convinced that the runner-up was very well-handicapped and will be at least 10lbs ahead of the handicapper. So, since I believe that, I've got to believe that Sandy Thompson's runner has a fantastic chance of landing the four-timer.
Spadestep is a horse I tipped up earlier in the season, and if you were to tell me that this horse won't have won a race over fences five months later, I'd have laughed in your face. It's quite incredible how he jumped brilliantly on his debut, bumping into a handicap blot, but he hasn't managed to get his head in front. I think he's the main danger, but since we've seen him finish second four times in a row, it shows he's prone to an improver.
Unfortunately, Brian Hughes is recovering from an injury from a fall last week, so he's not on board Marty McFly. It's a shame that Brian isn't in the saddle, as he's struck up a great partnership, but Danny McMenamin is a great replacement.
GambleAware