Addingham is strongly-fancied by William Haggas to go one better in the Novice Stakes over ten furlongs of Lingfield polytrack this afternoon but I’m totally aware the Intello gelding, well-backed on debut over a mile of this course last month, needs improvement to justify the confidence of his Newmarket-based trainer, a supreme judge of form and thoroughbreds. Probability is he’ll win by default!
It’s difficult to imagine any horse housed at William’s yard wouldn’t be good enough to beat the bulk of seven rivals, three of which are un-raced; others have little or no experience and we are discussing a class 5 race.
Placing is the name of the game, Haggas is second to none finding the last piece of a jigsaw and by process of elimination this particular race does ‘Add’ up.
Rest of a seven-race card looks uninspiring and I’ve been unable to glean a serious punt from the Wolverhampton tapeta fixture which is why other selections are plucked from NH racing at Doncaster and Huntingdon, where Captain Broomfield looks a solid ‘shortie’ in division one of the Novices’ Hurdle over two miles of a pristine ‘good to soft’ surface and mount of Tom Bellamy, aboard when Emma Lavelle’s charge was a half a length second to Jungle Jack on ‘Haydock heavy’ last month.
No danger whatsoever on the time-handicap and on Town Moor’s ‘good’ ground Godrevy Point is napped for an eight-runner Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.
Nine weeks ago Godrevy Point was beaten a short-head over course and distance by Lyrical Genius when caught in the last stride with the rest spread all over ‘Donny!’
‘Horses for courses’ is a tremendous betting theory and Godrevy Point measures up as a ‘professional special’ each-way bet, if all eight run!
Make sure they do and, stick to this column rigidly as we enter what usually provides a golden period for serious wagering.
January has been most disappointing and so have my selections but it happens to the best and I’ve never been one to ‘cry over spilt milk’ and reckon onwards and upwards is the best method and tonic.
Remember ‘the harder you work, the luckier you’ll become’ and I’ll definitely be burning the midnight oil on your behalf, 100%!
Incidentally Alan King’s runners continue to be beaten out of sight; wonder what’s wrong, he’s such a good, consistent trainer.
Selections, Huntingdon, 12.25 Captain Broomfield; Doncaster, 12.45 Godrevy Point (nap-e.w); Lingfield, 4.20 Addingham.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019