It may not have been the brightest idea for someone in racing's corridor's of power to send out an April Fool's press release last week, claiming that the Grand National would have to be run clockwise round the famous Aintree circuit from now on, to comply with European regulations. "Ho, ho, what a good one," any reader was doubtless supposed to chortle, but the problem comes when they read elsewhere in the same week that the starting stalls at right-handed tracks will be renumbered so that number one is always on the inside, even at Windsor, where the question of what is inside and what outside is tricky to pin down.
"Stop it, you're killing me," may have been the response, but, as we know, the second of these initiatives is by no means an April Fool and it is as well to bear this in mind if you're betting at Beverley today. By tradition, you want a horse in a double-figure box for the big-field sprint handicaps there, but now of course it is Trap One that we want.
Or rather, not One because that's where Solemn is and I can't quite see him doing it today, even with Silvestre de Sousa aboard. In Trap Three, however, is Humidor (3.10) at a very backable 7-1 to follow up the good work of last year.
Formerly with Roger Charlton, he won his first three starts for George Baker from August to October and is still only 5lb higher than for the most recent of those successes, from 15 rivals at Ascot. He warmed up for this by trying to make all round Lingfield's all-weather circuit and should be sharp this time.
Richard Guest got Hill Tribe (3.40) from Jeremy Gask and managed to improve the filly sufficiently to win at Southwell and Wolverhampton since the turn of the year. She showed some ability on the turf last year and my bet is that she can beat this small field, now that the trainer has brought her on. It is almost a month since we saw her but the yard continues in good form. She's 7-2.
At Nottingham, it appears that somebody left the irrigation machine out in the snow because, when they tried to use it on Monday, it worked down the back straight and then broke. In consequence, the going is good to firm, firm in places, with the latter patches presumably concentrated in the home stretch.
That's good news for Buzz Law (5.20), who goes well on a decent surface, as when running on into a close third at York last year. He won at Newmarket on good but was beaten at Ascot and Newmarket when 'soft' was in the going description. He's still handicapped to win and it can be today if Elaine Burke, who had a winner at Doncaster on Saturday, has him ready.
Ole! ElMatador1 stuck his pin in both Strictly Pink (9-1) and Ingleby Spirit (9-1), sweeping himself to the top of the leaderboard. Is it wierd that the other winner, Drybrook Bedouin, was also 9-1?
Goofs, you were severely punished for ditching Cathy for Heathcliff. I mean Kieren.
Apologies to those of you who were unable to post selections during the period yesterday when comments were closed due to a technical glitch.
Today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 3.10 Beverley, 4.50 Nottingham, 5.40 Kempton.
This week's prize is a £100 bet on the Grand National this Saturday, kindly provided by Totesport, the official betting partner of the National meeting at Aintree.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in already this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be that entrant who, from those tied for the highest score, posted his tips earliest on the competition's final day.
For terms and conditions click here. Good luck!
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