3.20pm Exeter Tips & Betting Preview 24/10/2017

3.20pm Exeter tips for Tuesday’s race. Sixteen runners in this competitive looking event and an intriguing contest. Read on for our free betting tips, predictions and analysis.

IN SUMMARY: With his excellent record when fresh and representing a stable who do so well with their staying chasers it may be worth a punt on DUELING BANJOS (Each Way) for Kim Bailey who has a great chance if fully wound up and will take some beating here.

1 VIEUX LILLE – Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson make a potent combination but the seven-year-old has gone five races without a win over fences and failed to impress with his jumping last season. Sure to have been well schooled since he is potentially very well handicapped if he can transfer his winning hurdles form to the larger obstacles at last.

2 ALVARADO – Two fourth spots in the Grand National suggest a test of stamina is what he needs to be seen at his best but he hasn’t won in close to four years now which has to be a concern for his supporters. He will be running on late but may well find this on the sharp side these days.

3 KILBREE KID – Loves it at Perth with five victories at the Scottish track but less effective elsewhere and he could hardly travel any further South. Yet to race here but he has won off two pounds lower than today’s handicap mark and place off of higher in better races and with his jockey claiming seven pounds he could surprise a few of them this afternoon and arrives here with place chances if back to his best.

 4 DUELING BANJOS – Kim Bailey’s seven-year-old goes well fresh as witnessed by a first time out bumper win in 2014, a novice hurdle win at Kempton in November 2015, though he ended that sequence last year when falling at Ascot last year when making his debut over fences. Five runs since have seen one win and four places and he ought to be able to put in another big effort here.

5 JAYO TIME – Decent enough at his best but crashed out at Ludlow in May 2016 and again on his return (at the same track) in April this year. He hasn’t looked the same horse in three runs since and has been beaten fifty-one lengths, forty-six lengths, and thirty-six lengths and although well handicapped here, he does have a bit to prove at present.

6 TIMEFORWEST – Jockey Aidan Coleman won this in both 2014 and 2015 and looks for his hat-trick here on board Jonjo O’Neill’s five-year-old mare. Three wins over hurdles suggest she has plenty of ability and she wasn’t knocked about on her chasing bow when a thirty-three length sixth over an inadequate two and a half miles. She should be happier upped to this trip and can only improve with experience though she could do better in less exacting company.

7 GINGILI – Jockey Noel Fehily will earn every penny of his fee on board the Johnny Farrelly trained gelding as he has looked to be hard work recently, even when winning at Fontwell under a strong Fehily ride. Last time out at Newton Abbot he jumped sketchily to put it politely before being pulled up and he is hard to argue a case for while he remains in that frame of mind.

8 ZEPHYROS BLEU – Hard to gauge at present with a best yet run over fences when hacking up over this trip at Ffos Las in December and a way below par effort when beaten forty-six lengths on his only run since three months later at the same course. Although upped a big twelve pounds from the handicapper that doesn’t really explain that poor effort and it will be intriguing to see which version of Zephyros Bleu turns up this afternoon for a yard in good form of late with a 40% strike rate.

9 CERNUNNOS – A winner last time out at Bangor in first-time blinkers when seeing off What Happens Now by four and a half lengths but upped seven pounds for that and no guarantee the headgear will have the same effect a second time. Experienced but thus fully exposed for a stable tricking over nicely and may find his new weight too much for him this afternoon though Barry Geraghty in the saddle is always a positive.

10 UMBERTO D’OLIVATE – Three wins and three places from eight starts at this course suggest Robert Walford’s nine-year-old can go well again today, and he has gone well fresh in the past though he may not be so easy to fine tune as the years catch up with him. He likes to make the running and won over this course and distance on New Year’s Day off six pounds lower and is heading back towards a winning mark again.

11 SARTORIAL ELEGANCE – The Colin Tizzard yard are going well enough of late and he is only a youngster in chasing terms at the age of six, but still has a bit more to find in this field. His Plumpton win last December was off a rating nine pounds lower and although dropped another three pounds after being pulled up at Wincanton, that was back in March and he arrives here with plenty to prove after that poor effort.

12 BINDON MILL – Lightly raced over fences with just the three starts and a single win at odds of 4/1 over this course and distance back in mid-January. Put up ten pounds for that he was an acceptable fourth back here in March when ten lengths behind winner Bertie Boru in a very similar contest to today’s, and off two pounds lower he has a decent looking chance here with the likelihood of further improvement.

13 KING OF GLORY – Lightly raced for his age with just the sixteen career starts, nine of them over fences, and a winner at Warwick over two and a half miles in December 2015. Off for fifteen months he returned with a superb two-length second at Sandown over this trip but possibly “bounced” next time out when a forty length fourth to Wizards Bridge at Fontwell when dropped back in trip. Off for eight months since he clearly has his problems and seems hard to train but Venetia Williams is as patient as needed, and he may have another win in him.

14 BEARS RAILS – Three wins from ten starts over fences for Coli Tizzard’s seven-year-old at Fakenham, Fontwell, and here (over shorter) suggest the son of top national Hunt sire Flemensfirth has plenty to offer, though he was put up eight pounds for the latest victory and has struggled in two races since, pulling up when weakening at Wincanton when last seen in March. Only dropped a couple of pounds for that he may still be a little high in the handicap but with Harry Cobden riding for a top stable he cannot be simply ruled out here.

15 TALK OF THE SOUTH – Needs to learn to jump a bit better if he wants to get involved in a race of this quality after losing plenty of ground at the fences at Cheltenham in April and again on his last run at Fakenham in May. The Paul Henderson stable haven’t had a winner in the last fortnight (but to be fair, they have only had the one runner), but he has been dropped another pound for his last run and could put in a better effort if he can learn to jump a little better on the schooling grounds.

16 LAC SUCRE – Bottom weight for John Flint’s eight-year-old who gets four pounds and more from his rivals here plus Mitchell Bastyan’s seven-pound claim which could increase his chances considerably. He hasn’t been seen since pulling up at Chepstow in April when tailed off with no obvious excuses and he obviously needs to repeat his winning effort at Chepstow off eight pounds lower in March. Each way chances if that is the case but it does seem unlikely.