2.25pm Uttoxeter Tips & Betting Preview 19/03/2016

Novice handicaps are notoriously tricky to solve with some of the runners left with plenty of improvement to come, and others already at their peak and weighted accordingly, but it does look as though Colin Tizzard will be looking for another winner with Justatenner (12/1 Each Way) though we doubt that will be too much consolation for the fall of Cue Card yesterday and the loss of the million pound bonus. A slow maturing five-year-old, he ran his best race to date when fourth to Space Oddity at Taunton last time out, giving the impression that better ground would suit, and he should get that here. A half brother to the useful Promanco who is rated in the low 120’s, he could be well in here if handling the drop back in trip, and with Tom Scudamore on a high after Thistlecrack for the same yard, we think he can win at a decent price today or at the very least make the frame.

Ascot De Bruyere (13/2) is perhaps the most intriguing runner, having had just the one run for trainer James Ewart having arrived from his French yard in early February. His one run saw a pretty comfortable victory over Dubai Devils at Musselburgh and we had him in the notebook straight after that, and although he is still a bit of an unknown quantity, he may well have escaped the handicappers’ attentions off a sensible mark of 119.

Midtech Valentine (3/1) certainly looks like he will take an awful lot of beating here with his recent win at Warwick going unpenalised today, and making him one of perhaps two supposed handicap good things. That was his sixth race over hurdles and his first success, so we are loathed to get too carried away, but in theory he is well in and ought to run a massive race at the very least.

Looking through the weights and the other one “well in” according to the figures has to be Fort Carson (7/1) who was already put up two pounds and also gets in here without a penalty thanks to the race conditions. The move to the Neil King yard seems to have brought about plenty of improvement judged on a second to Bladoun and an easy win last time out from Buckontupence (still a maiden over hurdles) at Market Rasen, and if he arrives in the same sort of form and mood today, he seems the most likely winner by some margin this afternoon. That said, he is ten years old, and that was his first win from nineteen starts over hurdles which has to be a worry, and thrown in as he is, will he represent any value.

Lastly, Northandsouth (7/1) is an improving sort according to trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and seems sure to run a big race judged on his victory last time out at Doncaster. Jockey Jamie Bargary is good value for his five-pound claim but the horse has been put up six pounds by the official assessors and may find the unpenalised winners are that bit too well off at the weights in comparison to the lightly raced six-year-old here. Click here to get all our Channel 4 racing tips!