Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips – DS
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips
Dave Stevos’ has already posted his fancies for Friday at the Breeders’ Cup. Check them out here. The ITV cameras will also be at Exeter and Down Royal on Friday where we have a few Graded NH races. We have previewed every race, check out who we are backing below.
1.30 Down Royal – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 3)
A trappy Grade 3 kicks off proceedings at Down Royal on Friday. If the ground had come up on the decent side, I’d have given Doyenna a big e/w chance. She has won two of her last three, a maiden at Tramore and a handicap last time at Fairyhouse. The handicap form is ordinary but that Tramore win was an excellent effort. Yes, she was getting a bit of weight from the odds on fav but he has since gone on to land his maiden by 9L before adding two more Novice chases (now rated 132).
However, all of Doyenna’s best form is on nice ground and she was a non-runner on account of soft ground back in August at Roscommon. Lorna Fowler’s mare could be worth keeping an eye on in similar races to this in the Spring. The only other one that makes any appeal at an e/w price is Rioga Choice. Rachael Blackmore will ride this daughter of Flemensfirth for Henry De Bromhead. She took four runs to get off the mark over timber, a 17L win at Roscommon in August (16f sft).
Her other standout run came second time out when she finished a 3L 3rd behind Kilbarry Chloe on heavy ground at Wexford. Looking at her pedigree, you’d think nicer ground would suit better. Her dam is a half to the dam of Special Tiara and she loved decent ground but on what we have seen so far, Rioga Choice likes it testing. Quite a few shorter priced horses in this race have questions to answer on soft/heavy so at 14/1, Rioga Choice is the e/w selection.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: Rioga Choice e/w @ 14/1
1.50 Exeter – Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)
An even trappier race. 16 are due to go to post for this 21.5f handicap hurdle and the ground at Exeter is good. Jeremy Scott is a trainer that has plenty of success at this track and at odds of 18/1, Lady Kk could go well if fit and ready to rock on her seasonal reappearance.
By Shirocco, this 7yo mare has a pretty consistent record over hurdles. She has had eight runs, returning one win and four places. Her last two runs were nothing to write home about admittedly, but she underwent wind surgery before those efforts and it can take two or three runs for a horse to realise they can breathe properly again after a wind procedure.
This mare has a decent record when fresh. She was 2nd on her return to action at Ffos Las in October 2021, beat 5L off 118 and this time she is in off 110. Lorcan Williams knows her well and she has placed form at this track in Novice company. This is probably her optimum trip and if she repeats the form she showed on her comeback last season, she could go very close at odds of 18/1.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: Lady Kk e/w @ 18/1 (5 Places) NAP
2.05 Down Royal – WKD Hurdle (Grade 2)
Just five runners in what looks essentially a match between the Elliott pair. Fil Dor found just Vauban too good on his last three starts in G1 company. Pied Piper has a run under his belt, an impressive win over Knight Salute at Cheltenham two weeks ago. The bookies make Pied Piper the 5/6 favourite and Fil Dor is 6/4. None of the outsiders make much appeal and this is a no betting race for me.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: No Bet
2.25 Exeter – Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase (Class 2)
Another small field and another no bet race. Press Your Luck is possibly overpriced at 5/1 but his antics at the start last time are off-putting. Flash Collonges proved no match for the Gordon horse at Chepstow last month and if they both complete, I’d favour Press Your Luck. However, Thyme Hill is miles ahead of these on the ratings and if he takes to fences, he’ll be tough to beat.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: No Bet
2.40 Down Royal – Handicap Chase (0-130)
Tom Gibney runs two in this and on soft/heavy ground, Razzle Dazzle Love could be the answer. This mare has loads of ability, when she is in the mood. An out and out front runner, she is back from a break and she has a good record when fresh. Her best run last season came on her comeback at Galway. She finished 2.5L 2nd to Global Equity in a Novice Chase (18.5f sft) and she had a couple of mid 120s chasers back in 3rd and 4th.
In 2020 she hosed up in a bumper on her first run back, beating the useful Dads Lad at Punchestown. The form of her Galway 2nd suggests that a mark of 118 should be within her grasp. This will be her handicap debut over fences and first time up could be the time to catch her. Daragh O’Keefe prefers her over Elegant Love and if he can get her into a nice rhythm early, Razzle Dazzle Love is more than capable of making a very bold bid from the front. At odds of 16/1, back her e/w.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: Razzle Dazzle Love e/w @ 16/1 (4 places)
3.00 Exeter – Stayers’ Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Jackie Du Plessis is a trainer who has a decent record at Exeter. She has had 136 runners at the track, returning 11 wins and 40 Top 4 finishes. One of those wins came in this race last season with St Erney and he is back to try and repeat the trick off 5lbs higher. In this race last season this son of Kadastrof was having his first start of the campaign, just like he is this year.
Harry Kimber took 7lbs off that day, this time he is claiming 5lbs. On his next start after winning this race St Erney ran another cracker off 115 to finish a close 2nd over this same C&D, a run that proves he can be more than competitive off his current rating. Du Plessis had two runners last month that finished 1st and 2nd so her horses are in good nick and as I mentioned earlier, she has an excellent record at this track. Hopefully this is St Erney’s target and if it is, he is capable of hitting the frame at odds of 12/1.
Exeter and Down Royal Friday Racing Tips: St Erney e/w @ 12/1 (4 places) NB
3.35 Exeter – Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
Another frustratingly small field for this Grade 2 handicap chase. Third Time Lucki heads the market for the Skeltons off a mark of 153. He lacks a recent outing but he has won first time up for the last two years in a row. He is probably a shade below G1 chase class but he is a rock solid Grade 2 performer and he carries a lovely low weight today.
War Lord represents the in form Tizzard yard and Brendan Powell rides. Similarly to Third Time Lucki he has come up short in G1 company but this race should be right up his street. His last handicap start saw him hack up off 135 and he is 14lbs higher today. I am not sure he has much wriggle room off 149 but it’ll be interesting to see if he improves again this season.
Class Horse
The class horse in the race is three time G1 winner Greaneteen. He landed this race back in 2020 off 151 but he is now 17lbs higher. He beat Hitman by nearly 6L in the Tingle Creek last year and connections will be encouraged by the fact that his stablemate ran so well off top weight in the Old Roan at Aintree. However, Greaneteen will have bigger fish to fry than this later in the season and this race will be a stepping stone for another crack at the Tingle Creek.
Dolos is rated 148 and he carries just 10-6. On his day he is a talented horse, the problem is that those days are becoming harder to predict. Now a 9yo, he was beat 1.75L off 147 on his last start and he is a pound higher today. If he was at his very best, he’d be capable of placing here but with just five runners and two places for e/w players, odds of 17/2 do not tempt.
Out Of The Handicap
Last, but not least, we have Us And Them. We backed this fella in the Arkle in 2019 when he chased Duc de Genievres home. However, it has been downhill since then for the son of Stowaway and he was moved across the Irish Sea to Alan Jones from Joseph O’Brien in the off season. In his first two starts for Jones he unseated and fell, so it is hard to have any confidence in him at the minute and he is well out of the handicap here.
For me, this is a race best watched. Greaneteen won’t be given a hard race, War Lord looks on a tricky mark and Third Time Lucki ran stinkers on two of his last four starts. Dolos and Us And Them are both unreliable and with so much quality racing on this weekend, we’ll surely find better betting opportunities elsewhere. No bet.
