Saturday lookahead

The 362nd edition of the Wayward Lad blog.

Two selections for the blog yesterday with RAPID INCREASE taking 3rd place and the each-way spoils. Advised at 10/1 (SP 8/1), that’s 1.50pts profit (at quarter-odds).
The winner Horsham Lad had the benefit of a very lenient mark, and the front-3 pulled a long way clear of the remainder in what looked a race run at a testing gallop. All-in-all, a good effort from the selection and he goes back into my private alert list. If he reappears over an extra couple of furlongs he will be very interesting.
Unfortunately, the other selection, GOING WRONG, was 4th and missed out on a place only for lack of fitness and so 2pts lost there, meaning an overall ½pt loss on the day. On reflection, this looks a strong race (despite my comments in the blog yesterday) and GOING WRONG is one I’ll keep an eye out for when he runs next, especially if he steps up in trip to 2m4f+, and it could pay to keep an eye out all the 1st-4 home in this race.

Just a solitary jump meeting at Fakenham today and tho’ there are a couple of decent handicaps being run there, the fields are small and the races could get tactical.

Looking ahead to Saturday, and the meeting at Aintree is the first major meeting of the jumps season with the highlight being the “Old Roan” chase over 2m4f. MASTER MINDED stands out in this race and I would be very surprised if anything in the race can challenge him. That said, he is his own worst enemy and can idle when in front which, given the new “whip” rules could make things interesting after the final fence.
The opening hurdle over 2m1f is one that should be watched as recent winners have done extremely well in follow-up races. From the early entries, one I like the look of is HIGHWAY CODE who is sent by Richard Lee, and he won the race in 2006.
The Veteran’s handicap over 3m1f could be interesting. I have been following DOUBLE DIZZY for a couple of seasons as when he’s in the mood he can run a big race, and this looks his sort of opportunity.
There are a couple of my old fav’s entered later in the afternoon; in the 4:05 SOUND STAGE makes his seasonal debut. He was given only 3-runs last season, but each was a solid effort, and I’m sure Caroline Keevil will have this horse fit to do the business. Then, we have another from last season’s Horses to Follow list – PICKAMUS.
The meeting at Chepstow opens with a 3-mile maiden hurdle that has been won by some decent horses in recent years, so another race to have your notebook handy. Later on, the Persian War Novices Hurdle over 2m4f looks a cracker and it is a race Paul Nichols has won 3 times in the past 4 years. However, I will probably be looking for the winner of the 4:50, a 2m½f class 2 h’cap chase.
The other jumps meeting on Saturday is at Stratford and it has a couple of interesting handicaps.

I will be watching the Doncaster meeting, but I doubt I will be having a wager there. I am more interested in the flat meeting at Newbury which has, what looks to be, a cracking card.

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Betting on horseracing should be a pleasurable experience - never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Thanks from Wayward Lad