Sunday sees the start of the Irish flat season at the Curragh but there are also jump cards at Chepstow, Carlisle and Downpatrick. It’s the first of those that has our stats pick for Sunday, coming up in the final contest. We will have free horse racing tips for all four cards as we begin to turn our attentions to the Aintree Grand National meeting.
The runner in question is Gold Bullion for Paul Nicholls. Nicholls has sent twenty-four runners to Chepstow to run in bumpers over the last five years for twelve winners and a level stakes profit of +£13.76. In fact, Nicholls has a 31% strike rate with bumper runners here over the course of his entire career. Wincanton is the only track he has sent more to, a 23% win rate at that track.
Gold Bullion is from a very smart family, his dam a half-sister to Crystal D’Ainay who was a multiple Grade 2 winner over hurdles, runner-up in both the Long Distance and Long Walk hurdles to the mighty Baracouda. She is also a half-sister to French Grade 1 and Grade 3 winners who have thrown smart types themselves so Gold Bullion is bred to be smart.
A winner at Warwick on his first start, the runner-up has helped the form since. That rival won at Ascot before looking the winner of a Listed race at Sandown two furlongs out before getting caught out by the hill. It is never easy to win a bumper under a penalty but this gelding looks well above average and can buck that trend.
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