Tote Placepot Tips for Tuesday's Racing at Newton Abbot

Leg 1 Selections: Samba Dancer, Mascat

This evening’s card at Newton Abbot kicks off with a competitive-looking handicap hurdle event and I have two suggestions for the opening leg of today’s placepot.

The first one is the Fergal O’Brien-trained SAMBA DANCER, who didn’t take to the bigger obstacles last time and is reverted back to hurdles here off the same mark as when he won at Cheltenham in a class three event back in October. He won three of his first five starts for this stable last year, all on good ground, and should be ready to run a big race now for his trainer, who’s operating at an impressive 24% strike-rate over the last five seasons at the course.

The Tizzard team don’t often send many runners here but those that they do should be closely considered, including the lightly-raced MASCAT in this race. The five-year-old was below-par on handicap debut in this sphere back in January, but has been in fine form on the Flat since and connections have booked an excellent claimer to do the steering, who takes off a valuable seven-pounds. He is a major player being the least exposed participant in the field off a potentially lenient mark.

Leg 2 Selections: Captain Square, Hill Station

Tom Lacey’s CAPTAIN SQUARE couldn’t meet market expectations when dropped into a seller last time, where he only finished second, but he was consistent on the level, and his trainer does well with hurdling debutants who make the transition from the Flat to this sphere. With the potential to be a pretty decent hurdler, he appeals more than most in this tricky contest. 

HILL STATION wasn’t as good as the former on the Flat, but he is in excellent hands, as his trainer Gary Moore has an excellent 38% strike-rate here over the last five seasons. He should fare a lot better over hurdles and could be ready to go very well in this race with Jamie Moore in the saddle. Alphonse Le Grande, another decent Flat recruit, also has a chance on hurdles debut.

Leg 3 Selections: Gente Connections

An interesting mares’ novices hurdle event for leg three which looks between the two last-time-out winners GENTLE CONNECTIONS and Belles Benefit with preference for the former, trained by Dan Skelton. She showed promise in her first four starts without success, including when sixth in a Grade Two, and has looked a different horse in her last three starts since positive tactics have been deployed.

This mare has won her last three starts by a combination of twenty-eight lengths and completed the last of those with the minimum of fuss at this course over shorter by seven-lengths. Besides her main market rival, who won on her British debut, this is uncompetitive, and Harry Skelton is reunited with the top-weight here. She looks capable of giving weight and a beating to these.

Leg 4 Selections: Tarseem, Encashment

TARSEEM is improving with each start for Milton Harris and has knocked on the door the last two times to suggest his turn might be near. He went close behind a stablemate at this course last time when only beaten a short-head and the winner has gone in again since, so a three-pounds rise remains workable. With that form working out well and more to offer, this four-year-old has good claims of going one better.

Ben Pauling’s team have begun to fire on all cylinders this week past or so, and it’s possible ENCASHMENT will raise her game again to feature in the outcome here on the back of three placed efforts. She gets into this race off a featherweight and while this is a slightly better race than last time, the step up in trip looks a positive move having finished her races very strongly over shorter of late. She’s worth her place on the teamsheet.

Leg 5 Selections: Heronord, Dell Oro

HERENORD can be given the benefit of the doubt for his fourth last time, where he wasn’t suited to the way the race panned out, and this longer trip looks a plus, which should allow him to settle better in the early stages. He went very close to opening his account back in April off a pound higher mark and a reproduction of that display could be enough to see him shed the maiden tag for the Evan Williams and Adam Wedge combination.

DELL ORO was well beaten on stable debut for Milton Harris but better was clearly expected as he was sent off odds-on favourite. Rated fifty-three pounds higher at the peak of his powers three years ago, he’s evidently well-treated nowadays and that latest return should have sorted him out, fitness-wise. He’s not the force old but this is a weak contest and he is thrown in on old form, so is worth a chance to capitalise on his much-reduced mark.

Leg 6 Selections: Kauto The King

As mentioned earlier in today’s piece, the Tizzard’s have an excellent strike-rate here and the in-form KAUTO THE KING looks a key player in his hat-trick bid. He’s two-from-two at this course over fences and impressed when scoring here last time, seeing off the 134-rated Mercian Prince, which is very strong form, especially as he drops in grade for this event.

He’s gone up five-pounds as a result, but should have a bit more to offer off this mark on return to this longer distance. He was left with a straightforward task at Worcester on his penultimate start, but looked to have the race in safekeeping anyway when the favourite departed. He should be suited to the way the race will be run and the three-timer beckons for him here.