Icare Grandchamp put in a very strange jumping performance, but got the job done, which is all that matters.
He puts in some cracking leaps, but then would put in some really bad ones. He got the last all wrong, and that gave the runner-up a chance to close the distance that Icare Grandchamp generated between the second last and the last fence. I believe he is still going to be ahead of the handicapper after that win.
Pachacuti was proof of why I do not touch conditional jockey races. I expected better from Rian Corcoran, who has been in good form this year, but the way he rode Pachacuti was just baffling. On heavy ground, he decided to go four wide all race, surrendering probably about a furlong of extra ground.
From The Clouds 7/2 (1pt) – Ayr 3.05
With Ffos Las cancelled, we are down to just Ayr for the jumps meetings on Tuesday. There are a couple of horses who did tempt me, but I've ended up going with From The Clouds as my only bet of the day.
This is still a risky bet due to the yards form. I'm a huge admirer of Lucinda Russell, so it's baffling that she has not managed to get rolling at any stage of this season. She hasn't had a winner over the jumps in 25 days, from 48 runners. The majority of her runners are finishing tailed off, so it's a huge risk backing From The Clouds at the price he is at.
However, in my opinion, he has the best form in this race by quite a large distance. He is 0/2 over fences, but has shown ability on both occasions under Jack Power.
The second to Ruby Island on chasing debut from a 567-day absence was a great return and start to life over fences. The run in a Class 3 on heavy ground at this venue was a smart performance. He finished 4th/5, but was against much better horses, and he didn't disgrace himself.
This is a much easier race, hence why he is the top weight in the race, and I believe if they stride out from the front again, he could be a tough horse to crack.
I've seen a lot of debate about whether stable form means anything in horse racing. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. I think it does matter, but the tides do eventually turn, so it shouldn't be enough to fully put you off from backing a horse.
GambleAware