After another profitable festival at Aintree, Jake Price is back with two tips for Wednesday's meeting at Haydock.
15:15 Haydock
15:15 Haydock
I have long been of the opinion that LA PINSONNIERE is a good Mare with a nice race in her one day, and this opportunity at Haydock on Wednesday looks on paper like a prime opportunity to prove that assertion to be correct.
Having come across from France she plugged away in Mares Novice events last season, winning at Huntingdon before being tilted at the Grade 2 Mares Novices' Hurdle Final at Newbury in March. She wan an extremely eye-catching race that day too, as in first-time cheekpieces she ran on strongly to only be beaten half a a length by Siog Geal (127), despite nearly being brought down at the second flight.
Her subsequent second to Jubilee Alpha (137) in Listed company at Cheltenham's April meeting was another fine effort, but she wasn't seen back on track for 296 days when returning in aother Listed race at Warwick in February. Once again she was just behind Jubilee Alpha in third place, but this run very much had the feel that she would come on massively for the run.
She was last seen running back in a 2m5f Handicap Hurdle at Kempton for the Cheltenham Festival consolation race, and once again I thought she shaped like she had more to offer. She was a bit too keen early that day which did not help, but she kept on well down the inside rail to finish in third place. It would not surprise me if a Mare like her needs a couple of runs to get fully wound up, she's off an unchanged mark of 130, and the slightly slower ground at Haydock will also help. If Nico de Boinville gets the tactics right, she has more than enough ability to win this.
betkwiff
17:35 Haydock
17:35 Haydock
I think Donald McCain has done a fantastic job with COUNT OF VENDOME this season, so therefore in the last at Haydock on Wednesday he has to have huge claims on his handicap debut off a mark of just 118.
This useful Bumper horse was very unlucky not to win on his Hurdles debut at Bangor in when the rallying Shabalko d'Herm (122) somehow managed to get back up, but next time out at Doncaster out selection made amends under no uncertain terms, bolting up by 13 lengths back to Stanners Glen (111), who himself has won at Wincanton since.
COUNT OF VENDOME was absolutely smashed in the betting when sent off the 8/15f to beat Harry Lowes back at Bangor on his next start at the end of February, but he and The Hawkstonian (114) got racing far too soon, and set the race up for Harry Lowes (128) to sweep on by, but our selection still ran well enough in second behind such a talented horse at the grade.
He returned to Doncaster 33 days ago and once again made amends at that track with a cosy success, and the handicapper saw it fit to leave him on an official rating of 118 despite winning. With William Maggs also now jumping aboard to take off a further 3lbs, I think he will take all the beating as the unexposed Novice in the race. Trainer Donald McCain has been in good form too.
