Steve Ryder Wednesday Racing Tips

There are many horses in this race with current form to prove and that includes the selection DEDI BLEU (best priced at 7-1) who has disappointed on both of his runs this season. The nine-year-old is well handicapped over fences based on his form over hurdles which included a 3rd place finish in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival off a mark of 139.

Defi Bleu ended last season in good form over fences with a victory at Wexford and a 2nd placed finish at Limerick in a Grade 3 novice chase but has disappointed on his previous two runs. His jumping has let him down in big field handicaps on those occasions in the Troytown and the Tim Duggan Memorial but this return to a smaller field and the application of first time cheekpieces will hopefully help his concentration at the obstacles and mean he puts in a better performance off a mark of 134.

The Sam England trained TANORA (best priced at 7-2) has shown improved form since the application of a tongue tie in the new year and should get off the mark with first time cheekpieces fitted. The seven-year-old mare ran well to finish 2nd at Catterick following a wind operation on New Year’s Day before finishing 4th over the same course and distance later in the month when amazingly only beaten ¾ length.

Tanora finished 2nd on her return to chasing last time at this course when only beaten a head by Light Flicker with the in-form Dalkingstown a further 3 ¼ lengths back in third. Her attitude in a finish has to be a slight question mark with her only being beaten ¾ length and a head on her previous two starts but I hope that first time cheekpieces will aid her concentration in a finish.

HAJEY (best priced at 9-2) got off the mark at the 17th attempt last time when defying an SP of 28/1 over this course and distance and he should hold strong claims of following up off a 7lb higher mark. The five-year-old finished a neck ahead of Son Of The Somme with the pair pulling 12 lengths clear of the third and the form of that run has been boosted by the runner-up winning by 7 lengths on his next start.

Son Of The Somme is now rated 12lbs higher which makes Hajey look attractively handicapped off only a 7lb higher mark and I expect him to prove hard to beat with Tom Midgley retaining the ride.