Steve Ryder Wednesday Racing Tips

Many of this field face question marks coming into this race but I will take a chance on BARI BREEZE (best priced at 7/1) who can be excused his previous two efforts in handicap company. The Milton Harris stable have been in fantastic form this season operating at a 21% strike rate and he will be well suited by this return to better ground. The seven-year-old showed promise in his first three runs over hurdles with his best performance coming when 2nd at Fontwell. He finished 3 ¼ lengths behind the odds on favourite World Of Dreams that day but the favourite has boosted that form since with a win and a second and is now rated 122.

Bari Breeze made his handicap debut off a mark of 107 but found the step up to 3m1f too far before finding the ground too soft at Haydock last time off the same mark. The handicapper has dropped him 5lbs down to a mark of 102 and he should now be able to give a good account of himself back down to 2m2f on good ground in this race. 

The Nicky Henderson trained Dusart sets the standard on form based on his Grade 1 3rd at Aintree last season but he was unconvincing on his chasing debut last time and I feel he could struggle against PATS FANCY (best priced at 11/8) in this race. The Rebecca Curtis trained seven-year-old has a lot more experience with 10 runs under rules and he has won his previous two starts over fences. 

Pats Fancy beat the consistent Gericault Roque at Chepstow giving him 2lbs before beating subsequent Cheltenham winner Imperial Alcazar by eleven lengths at Chepstow last time despite racing from 5lbs out of the handicap. The handicapper has given the gelding a rating of 143 which actually puts him 2lbs higher than Dusart on official ratings but he does have to concede 4lbs to his rival in this race. I feel his superior experience should mean Pats Fancy overcomes that slight weight disadvantage and expect him to win this before heading to the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham festival.  

The top weight MOON OVER GERMANY (best priced at 50/1) was previously rated as a high as 153 having placed in two graded novice chases but has completely lost his way since and has now dropped all the way down to a mark of 123 over hurdles. The eleven-year-old has pulled up on his three starts since joining the Robin Dickin yard but showed a lot more life last time over hurdles at Haydock when he led for over 1m4f of the contest. The 2m2f on heavy ground eventually meant he pulled up in that Class 3 0-135 handicap but he is now interesting dropped into a 0-125 handicap off top weight. 

Moon Over Germany didn’t perform any better in either cheekpieces or blinkers when trained by Henry De Bromhead but he is now fitted with a first-time visor which could help him in this race and he could outrun his odds with Tabitha claiming a further 3lbs.