Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips – DS
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips
We ended up with three places on the final day of Cheltenham. Knight Salute was very disappointing but the Irish horses were in another stratosphere. I’m not sure what sort of a ride Bua Boy was given and Faivoir had too much to do. Chantry House was never happy but after that, things got better. Pink Legend was just denied at 66s and Freedom to Dream and Party Business both placed at 33s and 40s. It was a decent end to a torrid week. The Midlands National is the big race on Saturday. Check out Dave Stevos’ Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday tips below.
1.50 Uttoxeter – Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)
The ground will likely be closer to good to soft than soft at Uttoxeter on Saturday. That should suit the Ben Pauling trained Optimise Prime here. Pauling was in the winner’s enclosure this week at Cheltenham and his horses are mostly running well. Optimise Prime didn’t run well last time out at Haydock though. He was pulled up before the third last but in his defence, the heavy ground was all wrong for him.
His first run back of the season at Cheltenham wasn’t great either but again, the ground was wrong and he was entitled to need it too. In between those runs, when he dropped into class 3 company for the first time, he ran a cracker for Luca Morgan at Ascot (21f gd/sft) off a mark of 127. The trip was possibly just on the sharp side for him but he kept on well and was only beat 3.75L into third.
He is now off a career low mark of 126. It is easy forget that only a year ago this horse ran respectably behind Minella Drama (now rated 146) and Stoners Choice (subsequent winner off 139) in a Listed contest at Market Rasen. He’s bred for this trip and the way he races (when he has had his conditions) suggests it’ll suit too. At odds of 25/1, Optimise Prime is the each way selection.
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips: Optimise Prime e/w @ 25/1 (4 Places)
2.25 Uttoxeter – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
There are only seven runners in this novices’ handicap but with a few bookies paying out on three places, Gustavian could be worth backing each way. The 7yo son of Mahler is in good hands with Anthony Honeyball but so far, his jumping has stopped him from winning. At this track in December on his chase debut (20f sft) he probably put in his best round of jumping when beat 2.75L off 137.
He then unseated early on heavy at Exeter before going desperately close after making a shuddering mistake at Ffos Las (21f hvy). At Exeter two runs back he was beat just 0.5L by Moroder off 135. He was conceding 18lbs to the winner who won by 8.5L off 4lbs higher on his next outing. When you consider that Gustavian threw in another couple of hair-raising jumps, it was a good run.
I’m not sure the drop in trip suited him last time at Exeter and this test will be more up his street. He has never run a bad race at Uttoxeter (form figures 2133) and there is no doubt he has the engine to win off 137 on the evidence we have seen this season. His jumping frailties cannot be ignored and he is the not type of horse you would want to have the wedge on. However, if he does somehow put in a clear round, he’ll go very close at odds of 10/1.
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips: Gustavian e/w @ 10/1 (3 places Betfred)
2.40 Kempton – Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
The first two live races from Kempton were of no interest from a betting perspective. This class 2 contest is another matter. A field of 17 will go to post in this 21f heat and it is wide open. In the hope that he can resume his progress now returned to a right handed track, I am going to take a punt on Small Bad Bob at a huge price here. Trained by Paul Henderson, this son of Big Bad Bob was not bred for hurdling. His dam is a half sister to a 7f G2 winner and a 6F listed winner but this fella has turned out to be a useful sort over timber.
He started out in P2Ps for Paul Nolan and he actually finished 3rd behind Sir Gerhard and Minella Drama in one of them. He finished 2nd to rules winner Coastal World on his final start in that sphere before switching to hurdles. On his rules debut at Killarney he got to within 1L of West Cork Wildway (rated 139 now). At Fairyhouse, he was only 6.75L behind Queens Brook (now rated 142) and 6L behind Decimation (since 2nd in a Grade 2) and Gua De Large (since won Grade A hcap off 126 and now rated 133).
Strong Form
That maiden hurdle form is strong so when he was moved to Paul Henderson, I reckon he knew he had a decent horse on his hands. It took him three goes to get off the mark, the win coming in a weak novice at Newton Abbott. That form is ordinary enough and the handicapper left his mark at 116. He made a mockery of that at Fontwell, on his return from an 81 day break, beating a decent handicapper in Thibault by 5L.
Henderson then ran this horse twice at Cheltenham, probably trying to find out if he might have one for the handicaps at the festival. However, Small Bad Bob ran poorly and it is plain to see he is best suited by a sharp, left handed track. His form figures on tracks with that description read 2221121. Going right handed they read 5454. On his penultimate start at Fontwell (19f gd/sft) he got outpaced before staying on to win. Ascot (right handed, testing) was never going to suit last time. However, Kempton should be right up his alley. A little bit of juice in the ground will suit and at odds of 66/1, Small Bad Bob is worth backing e/w for modest stakes.
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips: Small Bad Bob e/w @ 66/1 (5 Places)
3.00 Uttoxeter – Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
Jetaway Joey looks interesting from an e/w perspective in this 20f handicap. Trained by Olly Murphy, this son of Getaway is returning to the scene of his last win over hurdles. That came over C&D (gd/sft) in a Novice back in October and he is sure to relish coming back to this track. He also ran well on his only other visit when 3rd in a maiden hurdle on ground that was far too soft for him.
This fella is pretty consistent. He has finished in the first three on six of his eight hurdle runs. After a rare poor performance at Ascot on his penultimate start, he ran much better in a 20f heat at Wincanton. That was a far less valuable race than this and judging by how he was ridden, connections probably have their minds on a bigger pot.
Given his course form, this £50k race was the obvious target and hopefully Aidan Coleman has him closer to the pace than he was last time at Wincanton. He ran through the line really well that day and I reckon he finished with plenty in the tank. Olly Murphy does well at this track and at odds of 14/1, Jetaway Joey is the e/w NAP of the day.
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips: Jetaway Joey e/w @ 14/1 NAP (4 Places)
3.15 Kempton – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Now that he is back on good ground, Paddy’s Poem could go well at a price in this 20.5f handicap chase. Nick Gifford’s 11yo is well handicapped and he has had a couple of runs on soft ground to blow away the cobwebs. Unsurprisingly he was pulled up on his return on heavy at Sandown and then he ran into 3rd on soft ground carrying a massive weight at Newbury.
Those two efforts came over the minimum distance but this fella’s last win came over 20f at Wincanton. That was off a mark of 133 last March and he is off 128 today. The son of Proclamation has form figures of 3111 on good ground compared to 383P38323 on soft/heavy. He has won twice on fast flat tracks and he has won going right handed also. If he can reproduce the form of his Wincanton win, he can go close here at 20/1.
Kempton and Uttoxeter Saturday Tips: Paddy’ Poem e/w @ 20/1
3.35 Uttoxeter – Midlands Grand National (Listed)
The feature this Saturday is the Midlands National. This 34f contest requires stamina in abundance. The drying ground will mean it isn’t as much of a test as in some recent renewals but even so, you need a horse with serious staying power. The clerk of the course reckons it will be good to soft, soft in places and that should suit Gwencily Berbas. This horse is a stout stayer and his trainer, David Pipe, won this race four times in a row between 2011 and 2014 with four different horses.
This fella looks ideal for this sort of race. He was last sighted three weeks ago running a cracker in the Eider over this trip at Newcastle. He won over 30f at Exeter in December too and both of those runs came on good to soft ground. He’s 5lbs wrong today and 3lbs higher than he was for that Newcastle run. However, he was rated much higher over hurdles in his pomp. Staying chases are his game nowadays and he is ultra-consistent when he has his ground.
In five runs at three miles plus on good to soft or better he has never finished outside the first five. Tom Scudamore comes back in for the ride and he was on board for his dominant win at Exeter. The track should be fine, the ground should be perfect and with extra places available, Gwencily Berbas is worth backing e/w at odds of 30/1.
