Whoever invented veterans’ chase handicaps – for horses aged ten and above – please take a bow. I love them and I have yet to come across anyone in the sport who doesn’t relish the prospect of these old warriors running against each other in their twilight racing years.
Inevitably, horses of this age will be past their prime so it makes sense to have them competing on a level playing field, insofar as they race against rivals broadly their own age. Usually I am happy just to watch such contests without having a bet – but I will make an exception tomorrow for the Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Sandown (3 p.m.).
This series final is the richest prize of the season in any veterans’ race, with more than £51,000 to the winner. The Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle on the same card is worth considerably less to winning connections.
I had originally thought of putting up Prime Venture, who won this race last year at 18-1 off a 2lbs lower rating of 130.
However, he had been nibbled at in the market all week from 14-1 down to 6-1 or less, and this is a much tougher contest than it was 12 months ago. Ramses De Teillee, Saint Xavier, Snow Leopardess, Coo Star Sivola and Ballyandy are all classy animals who are in with a shout tomorrow.
Last year, too, everything went right for Evan Williams’s hold-up gelding, with Valadom setting a scorching pace from the off. That’s not guaranteed to happen this weekend.
Prime Venture will have his favoured soft or heavy ground again tomorrow but, all things considered, I am going to overlook him and go instead for a horse at bigger odds.
Harry Fry’s gelding SIR IVAN is 13 years old but he still retains plenty of ability. He has been third in this race for the past two years off marks of 135 and 140 respectively.
However, he is now down to a mark of just 129 and, in a recent stable tour, Fry described this race as his horse’s number one target for the whole season. That said, this is effectively the Cheltenham Gold Cup for many of the runners in the race.
Sir Ivan jumped to his right at several fences last year but, if he can sort out that quirk, he can play a hand in the finish for a third successive year. Lorcan Murtagh, claiming a handy 3lbs allowance, gets a good tune out of this veteran campaigner.
Sir Ivan’s odds make him a fair bet. Back him each way at 20-1 with bet365, paying five places. Other bookies, notably William Hill and Unibet, are paying one extra place but their win odds are much shorter.
The Tolworth Hurdle is too tough for me to bet in so just the one wager this week. However, I have started studying the form for the Cheltenham Festival, with an antepost bet or two likely in the near future.
My thanks to both friends and strangers alike who sent me congratulatory comments after two of my three tips from last weekend won, put up at 12-1 and 5-1. It’s nice when it goes right, especially so early in this new column, giving all of my followers a very healthy profit after the first month of tips.
As one friend put it in an email to me: ‘Bookmakers are wearing black armbands… and all readers can afford to pay their heating bills and eat fillet steak for the foreseeable future.’ Perhaps slightly over the top, but happy days indeed. Long may they last.
Pending bets:
1 point each way Sir Ivan at 20-1 in the Sandown 3 p.m. tomorrow, paying 1/5 odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Corach Rambler at 20-1 in the Aintree Grand National, paying 1/4 odds, four places.
1 point each way Lifetime Ambition at 33-1in the Aintree Grand National, paying 1/5 odds, five places.
Settled:
1 point each way Hill Sixteen in the Becher Chase at 11-1, paying 1/5 odds, six places. Unplaced (7th). – 2 points.
2 points win Annsam at 8-1 for the Howden Silver Cup. Cancelled meeting. Stake returned.
1 point each way Eldorado Allen at 20-1 in the King George VI Chase, paying 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced (4th). – 2 points.
1 point each way The Big Breakaway in 20-1 for the Welsh Grand National at 20-1, paying 1/5 odds, five places. 2nd. + 3 points.
1 point each way The Big Dog at 12-1 in the Welsh Grand National, paying 1/4 odds, four places. 3rd. + 2 points.
1 point each way Grumpy Charley at 12-1 in the Newbury 2.25 p.m. paying 1/5 odds, five places. 1st + 16.4 points.
2 points win Midnight River at 5-1 for the Cheltenham 1.55 p.m., with Skybet. 1st. + 10 points.
1 point each way Coconut Splash at 12-1 in the Cheltenham 1.55 on Sunday, with William Hill, paying 1/5 odds, six places. Unplaced (P). – 2 points.
2022-3 jumps season, running total +27.4 points.
My gambling record for the seven years: I have made a profit in 13 of the past 14 seasons to recommended bets. To a one-point level stake over this period, the profit of has been just over 469 points. All bets are either one-point each way or two-points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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