Cairnzy's first runner was a winner, even though the horse wasn't great odds, a win is a win. The RFC didn't land, but that was down to the bigger priced horse of the two letting it down as the favourite won the race with ease. Yesterday's final tip, Zoran, was given a great front-running ride by David Probert who got the fractions just right, with his mount managing to cling on in the final furlong.
Rizzel's tips
Starshiba 5/2 – Lingfield 2.32
Jack Morland has taken the training game with ease. He had a slow start, but in the last couple of weeks, he can't do much more than what his horses have been performing at. He is 5/6 coming into today's racing in the last fortnight, which is an amazing strike rate and full credit goes to him as he has managed to get horses to improve and others to bounce back to form. Starshiba has had two runs for this trainer, running a decent race on stable debut before running out a comfortable winner at this course and distance just before the New Year.
Today's race sees the top weight in good form and is the favourite at the time of writing, which is a tad surprising, but I can see why. In my opinion, I expected Starshiba to be the favourite due to the yard form, as punters normally latch on to stuff like this, especially when a stable is riding the wave, but that means more profit for us if Starshiba confirms that good run from last time out off a 4lb higher mark today.
Last time out he was slow out of the gates and Daniel Muscutt had to take a chance and hope the race unfolded in the way the horse needed it to. They didn't go a tremendous gallop, which normally hinders the horses who are held up, but the two horses at the back turning for home were the ones who fought out the finish, and I think that shows that they were both ahead of their mark. The runner-up had the first run on Starshiba, but once he was pulled to the outside, there was only ever one winner and Starshiba did it with quite a bit up his sleeve, so I think the 4lb penalty is definitely something he can overcome.
Come On John 7/2 – Lingfield 3.07
Cairnzy was one of the unlucky tipsters/punters who have been on Come On John on his run of four consecutive runner-up finishes, with him sticking this horse up last time out at Newcastle when he was beaten very easily by an unexposed horse at the trip, who was evidently ahead of his mark. Hopefully, I will not be the receiver of the same result when I tip this lad up.
Looking at the odds at the time of writing, I think he has to be the play in this race, despite him being a nearly horse who doesn't seem to get the job done. James Owen is a trainer who does tremendously well with horses who are bought into his yard, especially for these owners, so I think it is a matter of time before this lad finds his way into the winner's enclosure, which doesn't sound like rocket science as he has been knocking on the door. However, with Jordan Williams in the saddle, taking off 5lbs, the horse now looks ridiculously well-handicapped and given his recent good form, I think his odds make him serious value in this contest.
This horse has won off higher marks in the past when trained by Michael Attwater and given he has produced some RPRs which are a considerable amount higher than his official rating, with the 5lb claimer knocking him down to a well-treated mark, this looks like a lovely opportunity if getting the gaps when needed, which is always the main concern on these tight all-weather tracks.
