3.10pm Exeter Tips & Betting Preview 18/10/2016

The 3:10 Exeter is an intriguing Handicap Chase where a case can be made for almost every horse in the race. See our betting tips below in the full race preview.

IN SUMMARY: Wizards Bridge would be dangerous to discount as he was a C&D winner off 3lb higher last year and Rock Of Leon seems to have hit top stride for his new stable. However, CAULFIELDS VENTURE won this race last year when coming back to form and goes in new headgear today in a bid to go back to back. Today’s conditions will suit Emma Lavelle’s charge and he should make a bold bid to follow up.

1 CAULFIELDS VENTURE – Bounced back to form when winning this last year and that will need to be the case this year too, as he Pulled Up on his only start this year back in May (3m1f, Good to Firm). Not the easiest to predict but goes in new headgear for this years renewal and that may well do the trick to return to winning ways today.

2 MISS SERIOUS – Comes into this race with two good efforts at Newton Abbot over 3m1f, winning the first time and runner up the 2nd time. Very consistent in the main and should be there or thereabouts with the stable in form, place claims.

3 EASY STREET – Very flat when favourite at Uttoxeter back in July and not seen since (2m4f, Good). Lightly raced in the context of this race and made a great start to chasing life in June when rattling off a back to back double, so is surely capable of better. Hard to be confident though.

4 SKYLANDER – Looked very laboured when a well held 6th of 10 at Uttoxeter last month (2m7f, Good). Very inconsistent in the main over fences as he reverts back to that code today and would be involved on best form, but clearly stable 2nd string.

5 ROCK OF LEON – Didn’t exactly take to fences like a duck to water when unseating on 3 of his 4 chase starts back in the summer. However he seems to now have found his confidence, winning a selling hurdle at Worcester last month (2m7f, Good), changing hands to Nigel Hawke. That however seemed to do the trick when winning back over fences, beating an 8/15 hot favourite to claim a very game victory (3m, Good to Firm). There was a lot to like about that effort, battling grimly to take victory and there may well be more to come from this 5yo.

6 FOR ‘N’ AGAINST – A very quirky customer but looked in good shape on penultimate start when making all at Bangor in good style back in August (3m, Good to Soft). Not so good back over hurdles when weakening away to 8th of 10 at Warwick last month (3m2f, Good). Can be very hard to predict but if on song, has to have place possibilities at least.

7 WIZARDS BRIDGE – Not really performing at present, with form figures of P5F-PV. Has quite a bit to prove but won over C&D last year off of 3lb higher and would be very dangerous to ignore, but at a likely short price, he seems too risky.

8 FACT OF THE MATTER – Won on chasing/handicap debut last month (2m4f, Good) before a credible 2nd at Huntingdon behind a horse who was bang in form at the time. Upped in trip today and could be the dark horse off of a basement mark… place claims.

myracing Forecast Prices: 2/1 Wizards Bridge, 3/1 Caulfields Venture, 4/1 Miss Serious, 6/1 Fact of The Matter, 13/2 Rock Of Leon, 13/2 For ‘N’ Against, 8/1 Easy Street, 12/1 Skylander