1.20pm Huntingdon Tips & Betting Preview 15/01/2016

1.20pm Huntingdon Friday 15th January

Free Tip: Wake Your Dreams at 20/1 EW

Race Details

Race Time: 1.20pm Meeting: Huntingdon Day: Friday 15th January 2015 Full Race Name: 32Red Casino Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Class Four

Race Preview:

An interesting handicap for Conditional Jockeys to be raced over a fraction short of two and a half miles and on soft going, so a chance to balance horse ability with trainer form and adding or subtracting jockey skills and allowance – quite a conundrum!

1 Wake Your Dreams (20/1) – Jennie Candlish trains this eight year old gelding and has snapped up Conor Walsh to ride and take five pounds off his back on his eighth ride for the stable with one win so far. As for the horse, he mixes chasing and hurdling and has won three hurdles over this trip or further. Admittedly he hasn’t won since August 2013, but he has placed numerous times and with the drying ground in his favour and put down a very handy four pounds since his last race he looks to have an excellent each way chance today

2 Valliant Creek (9/2) – Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, this son of Brier Creek has raced a total of eighteen times yet is still a maiden which cant be seen as encouraging to us as punters – or connections.  He was a good second last time out at Market Rasen but has been put up five pounds for that effort which seems harsh though jockey Archie Bellamy is good value for his seven pound claim and will do his best to get him in to the frame at least.

3 Argot (16/1) – Zero wins from nine runners in the last fortnight for the Charlie Longsdon yard hardly bodes well, yet the hose is potentially well handicapped if he can be brought back to his best. The softer gong could well be against him with his best form on faster at Plumpton and Towcester (when second off a mark of 122), and off a very generous 111 today, if he handles the going he could surprise a few of his better fancied rivals – Tom Humphries rides and takes a massive ten pounds off as well but is yet to ride a winner and may need more experience.

4 Kleitomachos (4/1) – One of the in form options but priced accordingly after a win at Taunton over two miles three and a third to Theatre Goer over three miles at the same track, but then again he has been put up eleven pounds for those two runs. That was his only win over hurdles from seven starts and he has been punished pretty severely in our view, though in Harry Cobden they have one of the better your riders on board and that alone seems sure to leave him there or thereabouts at the finish.

5 Ballinalacken (5/1) – The only horse in the race to have won last time out, he was off Drombeg West by half a length under a strong David England drive, pretty much all out at the line to do so. Young Thomas Cheesman rides him for the first time today, but he is also up on the weights, this time by six pounds, and as he looks a tricky ride he may struggle to get to the front again this afternoon in what looks to us like a slightly more competitive race.

6 Bobble Emerald (33/1) – Trainer Martin Keighley has had a winner in the last week which is a good sign but will clearly struggle to add to that with this eight year old unless the first time blinkers work a miracle. He did win his one and only race over three miles at Uttoxeter back in May but was pulled up at both Uttoxeter and Taunton in his last two outings and is not one to rely on, and certainly not at this shorter trip.

7 The Hon Mackinlay (5/2) – Perhaps a surprise favourite, he has shown a few glimmerings of ability since a debut second in a bumper for Mick Channon back in May 2014. He has looked as if he is going backwards since with a thirteen and a half length sixth of seventeen at Doncaster last time is the nearest he has got since to bothering the judge, but he does have a first time tongue tie today which should aid his breathing, but will it be enough? Now with Ben Pauling, the bookies do seem to be running scared and although he could show the improvement expected, we look for value and it simply isn’t there.

8 Indian Daudaie (33/1) – How the mighty have fallen! One win over hurdles and three over fences are distant memories now for the nine year old son of Nicobar who looks a shadow of his former self and has pulled up in two of his last three contests.  He has been lightly raced in recent years for whatever reason so has clearly had his issues, but there can be no question that he is potentially well handicapped here having won off of 122 over fences, and carrying just 104 today.

9 Daliance (8/1) – We end with one of the more interesting contenders here as the seven year old has only had the two comeback runs after over a year off the track and showed some promise last time out when fourth to extreme impact at Warwick, weakening late on over a furlong further. Bottom weight today makes him intriguing with William Featherstone (five winners) a good jockey booking and we expect a bold show but not a winning one.

Conclusion:

A far more interesting race than it appears at first glance but with a value free favourite (at the price) we have decided that top weight Wake Your Dreams (20/1) is the each way call at his odds. Jockey Conor Walsh is good value for his five pounds claim and regularly rides for the yard. The horse may be eight but is relatively lightly raced and with a pipe opener to put him right looks overpriced and worthy of a bet.