Posts Tagged ‘paul nicholls’
Not since Collier Bay beat a small field in 1995 has the traditional pre-Cheltenham handicap teaser of the Imperial Cup been without a representative from the Nicholashayne base of the Pipe team, but with Hunterview unable to creep in at the bottom of the weights and Salut Flo shopping elsewhere, that’s exactly what we’ve got for the 2010 renewal, live on Channel 4 at 3.05pm on Saturday afternoon.
Bookmakers are keenest on improving Qaspal for Philip Hobbs and AP McCoy; the six year old needs to win here to get a penalty which would carry him ironically into next week’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and a tilt at the £75,000 bonus.
This lightly raced type has got it together the last twice, winning at Kempton (when he wasn’t overly fluent at his hurdles) and then hacking up over further at Sandown.
Dropping back in trip in a vastly more competitive contest here this will be by far the biggest field Qaspal has encountered, and what’s more the handicapper has had his say, slapping him with a stone rise to a mark of 124.
On those grounds I’m happy to pass him over, but I won’t be looking too far down the list, with only two of the last eight winners of this race boasting a double figure SP.
The one that catches my eye is Paul Nicholl’s high achiever Pepe Simo, a classy type who did so well pre-Christmas he earned a pop at the Christmas Hurdle.
Earlier in the campaign easy wins at Wincanton (twice) and Haydock helped earn him a mark of 140, which means he races with 11st 5lb on his back here.
Ruby Walsh is again on board, preferring him to Nicholls’ other runner Pistolet Noir.
The winner of a bumper at Taunton during his debut campaign he was considered good enough for a shot at the Champion Bumper 12 months ago (finishing 9th behind Dunguib), and the upgrade to hurdling has been a largely positive one, with three wins culminating in his best display at Haydock where he had a real cut at his hurdles and really looked to have got the hang of the job, putting several lengths daylight between himself and the chasing pack.
He wasn’t good enough to trouble Go Native and co in the Christmas Hurdle, but he might be next year and this is far easier.
Given that my selection is by Victory Note out of Vallee Doree heaven only knows where they got the name Pepe Simo from, although possibly it was influenced by that immaculately dressed buffoon Lord Culcheth, who has been known to return from Matalan with the odd pair of orange Pepe jeans in his bin bag.
An entry in the County Hurdle means Nicholls also has the option of fishing for the £75,000 bonus if he can win here and at the Festival, but no doubt he’ll be more than satisfied if they can claim Sandown’s big pre-Cheltenham prize.
As with any big field handicap there are a stack of alternative options, but Pepe Simo looks to have excellent claims.
Good luck!
Saturday’s Sandown Park tip:
3.05 – Paddy Power Imperial Cup – 4 Pepe Simo (each way) @ 7/1 (Skybet, Totesport, Victor Chandler)
n.b. at lesser odds both Bet365 & Paddy Power are betting 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4-5 on the race
Posted 1 week, 2 days ago
Tags: horse racing, imperial cup, mccoy, paul nicholls, pepe simo, philip hobbs, qaspal, ruby walsh, sandown, saturday 13th march, tips
Posted in Bet365, Bookmakers, VCBet, paddy power, skybet, totesport | No Comments »
It may be a new year but some things never change: a Nicky Henderson treble at Southwell as the Nottinghamshire track staged an innovative all weather bumper card on Wednesday, Paul Nicholls’ horses being overbet and exploited by cunning bookmakers (have a look at Fistral Beach at Kempton on Saturday for a prime example!), a mass exodus of the racing fraternity to Barbados at this time of year, and Lord Culcheth, who regular readers will know is a permanent disaster waiting to happen, and has now been laid low by a cougar related virus.
But praise be! We’ve finally got a break in the weather and some decent turf action to get stuck into, and not before time…..it’s seemed like an eternity, so make up for it by having a few quid on top weight Duc De Regniere in the williamhill.com Lanzarote Hurdle (2.45pm Kempton).
The class horse in the race he shoulders top weight for a reason, but Nicky Henderson has wisely opted to give the very capable David Bass the leg up, with the added attraction of a 7lb claim.
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Posted 2 months ago
Tags: duc de regniere, kempton, lanzarote hurdle, paul nicholls, reblis, saturday 16th january, tip, tom lee
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, ladbrokes, stan james, tips | No Comments »
A field of 17 go to post in a fiercely competitive renewal of the Boylesports Gold Cup this afternoon at 2.25pm, and as the headline suggests I’m pinning my hopes on local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies bagging the big handicap chase with improving seven year old Oscar gelding Razor Royale in the hands of Paddy Brennan.
The fashion of his last appearance, in which he hacked up in an 0-140 Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase at the Paddy Power Meeting, seeing off nearest pursuer The Sawyer by a distance, puts this likeable type in with genuine each way claims.
His work at home has been outstanding since then, and connections are quietly confident this afternoon.
The handicapper whacked him up 11lbs for his November win and rightly so, but that puts him in with a lovely racing weight of 10st 11lb, and with track, trip and ground to suit it’s little surprise Pricewise has found a home for him this morning.
Be quick and nick some 11/1 with any of Boylesports, Coral or Stan James.
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Posted 3 months, 1 week ago
Tags: bangor, boylesports gold cup, cheltenham, diamond harry, exeter, haydock, massasoit, nigel twiston-davies, paul nicholls, razor royale, tell massini, the minack, the sawyer
Posted in Bookmakers, Boylesports, Coral, Horse Racing, Jumps, stan james, tips | No Comments »
Denman is red hot favourite for the Hennessy but I'm opposing him!
A nigh on perfect weekend of sport lies in wait for armchair punters, with two fantastic days racing at Newbury, Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth, a typically strong Hatton’s Grace card at Fairyhouse, plus a mid-table scouse derby, the pivotal top of the table Arsenal v Chelsea game and the small matter of ‘el derbi superclasico’ over in Spain.
I can just picture my great mate Lord Culcheth parked on the sofa glugging his Liebfraumilch from a pint glass, Betfair fired up on his laptop, the 42 inch stolen plasma screen belting out Sky Sports or some obscure hooky Greek satellite channel, mobile at the ready, smug grin on his face as he snuggles up to some leathery old cougar he met while prowling the coat queue or the burger van at 4am that morning, dreaming of a trip to Andalucia with the profits of his punting.
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Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Tags: antepost, Ap McCoy, auxerre, bets, betting, big bucks, binocular, channel 4, denman, evan williams, fairyhouse, football tips, form, hennessy gold cup, newbury, nicky henderson, odds, paris sg, paul nicholls, ruby walsh, State of Play, tips, what a friend
Posted in Bet365, Betfair, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Cheltenham Festival, Coral, Horse Racing, Jumps, Main Events, Market Movers, Sport Betting, VCBet, football, ladbrokes, paddy power, stan james, tips, totesport | No Comments »
The sun’s out, the scene’s set and Cheltenham’s buzzing in anticipation if a truly super Sunday. Today’s card contains a bit of everything – perfect!
With the ground against the odds on favourite in the opener I fancy Irish challenger Fosters Cross to make his mark (1.10pm).
He looked very good in beating Loosen My Load over hurdles at Tipperary in October (Loosen My Load won well here on Friday), before making the switch to fences at Galway, where he handled the stiff uphill finish in style to see off Schelm, conqueror of Paul Nicholls’ Free World at Warwick, earlier in the week.
Fosters Cross will clearly prefer the ground too – snaffle a bit of the 9/4 readily available with totesport, Betfred, Sportingbet or Skybet.
Get a £50 Free Bet with the Paddy Power Open Meeting Sponsor, Paddy Power, on this weekend’s Racing.
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Posted 4 months ago
Tags: Betfred, Boylesports, cheltenham, connaught chase, david pipe, fosters cross, fred winter, galway, greatwood handicap hurdle, intermediate hurdle, ladbrokes, master minded, paddy power open meeting, paul nicholls, ronaldo des mottes, silk affair, skybet, sportingbet, stan james, tipperary, totesport, well chief
Posted in Betfred, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Horse Racing, Jumps, Uncategorized, ladbrokes, paddy power, skybet, sportingbet, stan james, tips, totesport | No Comments »
We’re up and running with a brilliant first day of the Open Meeting in the can at Cheltenham, with Razor Royale bagging the biggie he’s always threatened and Henry de Bromhead’s Loosen The Load staking his claim as a hurdler to follow this season (at over 18 hands he’s going to be some chaser under big weights with a penalty in his novice campaign), followed by banks specialist Garde Champetre stealing the show in the Cross Country race. All that despite the rain.
It’s brilliant being back at Cheltenham with its lively, friendly, knowledgeable crowd, and on Saturday afternoon they can profit from backing Irish raider Northern Alliance in the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup at 2.35pm.
Plenty of positives to recommend this horse with too: in good form this year in all disciplines having being at least placed on the flat, over hurdles and fences in recent times, he took the Guinness Kerry National at the Listowel Festival last time out in the hands of Ruby Walsh, beating a solid yard stick in the shape of veteran Church Island.
Paul Carberry resumes his partnership with the eight year old this time, and this sound jumper who has won three of his seven chase starts can land a major prize here.
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Posted 4 months ago
Tags: according to pete, ballyfitz, betting, chapoturgeon, cheltenham, form, grand national, malcom jefferson, miko de beauchene, northern alliance, odds, open meeting, our vic, paddy power, paddy power gold vup, paul carberry, paul nicholls, poquelin, red square vodka gold cup, ruby walsh, runners, servo trophy handicap chase, sportingbet, tatenen, tips, tom lee, totesport, tranquil sea, vc bet, venetia williams, victor chandler, welsh national, william hill
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, VCBet, paddy power, sportingbet, tips, totesport, william hill | No Comments »
It’s only 12 months since Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh teamed up with Oslot to record a facile success in the William Hill Galway Plate, and a year on they’ve got another nicely weighted contender in Roby De Cimbre.
Allotted 10st 9lbs when the weights were published this afternoon Roby De Cimbre has already won over fences at Fakenham, Worcester and Newton Abbot (twice) in his short chasing career, and this prize has been the six-year-old’s long term aim according to Nicholls.
Oslot went off a heavily supported 11/4 favourite in 2008, which makes the 8/1 currently available with William Hill about Roby De Cimbre looks unmissable. He could go off much shorter on the day. Get on each way.
Posted 8 months, 1 week ago
Tags: betting, galway festival, galway plate, odds, paul nicholls, roby de cimbre, tip, tips
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, Main Events, Market Movers, galway festival, tips, william hill | No Comments »
Cheltenham is already alive with the hum of final preparations, the course looks in top nick, the ground is currently Good to Soft on both the new and old courses, and the forecast rain hasn’t yet arrived. Let battle commence!
Tuesday’s tips:
1.30pm – williamhill.com Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - Take a bit of the remaining 6/1 each way with SportingBet about David Pipe’s Torphichen winning the opening race of the Festival.
He was in a class of his own on his latest appearance at Sandown, the form of which has worked out really well.
Lob into the equation his handy 8lb age allowance and you have a decent argument for an investment. I know Pipe is keen on his chances, and don’t forget heavily backed favourite Cousin Vinny endured a rough ferry crossing from Ireland and didn’t eat up when he arrived.
Latest Supreme Novices Hurlde Odds
2.05pm – Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase – Long time favourite Tatenen looks to be the one to take a decidedly average looking renewal of this contest. He’ll appreciate a strong gallop, the lack of which was his undoing when beaten by Follow The Plan at Leopardstown at Christmas time.
He looked excellent when winning here at the Open meeting in November, and has the gears to take this for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh. The 4/1 with bet365 looks a fair reflection of his chances.
Compare the Latest Arkle Chase Odds
2.40 – William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase – Top weight Star De Mohaison can stamp his class on this race and defy top weight.
The 2006 Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner hasn’t seen much racing since his Festival triumph, restricted by chronic tendon troubles.
However, with those injury worries now firmly in the past the eight year old, who ran his best race for a long time when a narrow second here under a big weight in a competitive December handicap, can make up for lost time.
It was touch and go whether connections launched him into a Gold Cup bid such is the high regard with which he is held, and at 10/1 each way with Boylesports he’s going to be very hard to keep out of the frame.
William Hill Handicap Trophy Odds
3.20 – Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle – With the rain forecast to arrive later this evening and 22 rivals to contend with I’ll happily take a watching brief where hot favourite Binocular is concerned.
Instead sniff out a bit of value and have a look at Ashkazar, currently a whopping 22/1 with VCbet, and last year’s winner Katchit, currently 14/1 (Champion Hurdle Odds Comparison).
Ashkazar ran a cracking trial in the Kingwell and is far too big at his inflated price, while Katchit seems to lit up at the sight of Cheltenham and could be a different horse on Tuesday afternoon.
Both should be backed each way with realistic chances of making the frame, and don’t forget bet365 are paying four places on the race.
4.00 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Handicap) – The quandry of which Enda Bolger horse to back is a teaser for fans of the Cross Country race, but I’m really keen on the idea of Garde Champetre following up last year’s runaway success.
While this time around he does face the imposte of top weight it didn’t prevent Spot Thedifference from winning this contest in 2005, and with Nina Carberry doing the steering I fancy him to fend off stablemate L’Ami. Get involved at 4/1 with Betfred or Victor Chandler.
Cross Country Hurdle Odds
4.40 – David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle - A race I’m thoroughly looking forward to! All the money in recent days has been for Willie Mullins’ Quevega, seemingly based upon one placed run in a Grade 1 hurdle in France on atrocious ground behind stablemate Hurricane Fly.
She won well enough last time out at Punchestown but didn’t beat much, and she runs into a streetwise opponent in the shape of Lucy Wadham’s United here.
United has some cracking form in the book: a former winner of Punchestown’s Champion Four Year Old hurdle, she also made the frame in the World Hurdle plus the Irish equivalent back in 2007, and has returned from a long absence looking as good as ever with wins at Haydock and Ascot.
The Ascot performance was only workmanlike, but she’ll appreciate a proper gallop and can reward her patient connections with victory on the big stage here.
Donald McCain’s decision to run Whiteoak in the Champion Hurdle has left the door ajar, and at 9/2 with Paddy Power United can take the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.
David Nicholson Mares Hurdle Odds
Good luck on Day One!
Tom
Posted 1 year ago
Tags: Arkle Chase, ashkazar, binocular, channel four, cheltenham festival, cheltenham festival tips, cross country chase, david nicholson mares hurdle, david pipe, form, free bets, free tips, garde champetre, horse racing tips, katchit, morning line, odds, paul nicholls, ruby walsh, star de mohaison, supreme novices hurdle, tatenen, tipping, tony mccoy, torphicen, william hill handicap chase
Posted in Bet365, Betfred, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing, Jumps, Main Events, Sport Betting, VCBet, paddy power, sportingbet, tips, totesport | No Comments »
Sandown’s the place to be on Saturday afternoon when one of my favourite races on the entire calendar forms the main attraction on a decent card, and it could be more of the same from star West Country trainer David Pipe.
The winner of the Imperial Cup (now sponsored by Paddy Power) earns a whopping £75,000 bonus from the sponsors if they go on to win any race at the Cheltenham Festival, a feat pulled off by Pipe Junior two years ago when Gaspara won at Sandown and then netted the Fred Winter.
He nearly did the trick again 12 months ago too with the brilliant Ashkazar foiled only by a very good horse in Crack Away Jack as he too made an assault on the Fred Winter. (n.b. don’t be afraid to back Ashkazar at 22/1 each way for next week’s Champion Hurdle, it’s a massive price)
The Pipe family have won the Imperial Cup an eye-watering eight times in the last 20 years, and on three occasions they’ve managed to net the bonus (Olympian 93 & Blowing Wind in 98 are the others), so there’s every reason to believe he’ll be up to his old tricks again.
This year he fields two, with hot favourite Mr Thriller currently an 11/4 shot with every firm in the village after facile wins at Bangor and Fontwell.
The form of those wins has been well advertised, but as a result he races off a mark of 145 carrying 11st 6lb.
More alarmingly he has only run on testing ground thus far, and with no rain around over the next couple of days and Sandown only currently Good to Soft, Good in places, this’ll be by far the quickest ground he has encountered.
At the 5/1 available when they priced the race up at the start of the week I’d have happily taken the risk, but since there’s another Pipe runner available at more than three times the price, I’ll happily take a watching brief with Mr Thriller if we can make the frame at a decent each way price.
Therefore the horse carrying my cash at 9/1 each way with Coral will be bottom weight Seven Is My Number – he’ll have no issues with the ground and badly needs a penalty to get into the weights for his various possible Festival assignments next week.
Not seen for a year since he overcame Paul Nicholl’s Woolcombe Folly (Woolcombe Folly went on to win five times thereafter) over hurdles at Taunton in February ‘08, he has won after a long absence before and could be very well handicapped.
Lightly raced, he has the assistance of the excellent Timmy Murphy to do the steering, and could get loose with a mere 10st 3lb on his back.
With the Festival looming he could be a handy source of funds for the battle ahead!
Good luck!
Saturday tip:
Seven Is My Number (each way) @ 9/1 (Coral)
Don’t forget to check out our list of Online Bookmakers Free Bets for some great offers to be claimed on this weekend’s sporting action.
Posted 1 year ago
Tags: betting, Champion Hurdle, Channel 4 Racing, cheltneham festival, david pipe, form, horse racing tips, imperial cup, martin pipe, mr thriller, odds, paul nicholls, sandown, seven is my number, timmy murphy, tom lee, weekend bets
Posted in Bookmakers, Cheltenham Festival, Coral, Horse Racing, Jumps, Main Events, Sport Betting, paddy power, tips | No Comments »
The locals will be out in force on Town Moor tomorrow for a decent Doncaster card, and I can’t resist having a few quid each way on Medicinal at 13/2 with Sportingbet in their big race at 3.00pm.
The South Yorkshire track has taken the rain reasonably well, with the ground currently good to soft, and Champion trainer Paul Nicholls holds an especially strong hand in the contest with three runners, including favourite I’msingingtheblues, who has excelled in bossing some small fields (he beat Calgary Bay here before Christmas), but steps into handicap chase territory for the first time.
It’ll be fascinating to see how much more rain they have at Doncaster, since I’msingingtheblues (as short as 11/4 with Stan James) has never run on ground more testing than the current conditions, and was once pulled out of a race at Uttoxeter with soft ground cited as the reason for his withdrawl.
Medicinal however posted his best effort over the larger obstacles last time out, when winning a decent 0-140 handicap at Haydock in November, a race in which they went off at a fierce clip, and if he can brush up on his jumping (which nearly derailed an excellent performance that day), then it’s very hard to envisage the selection not making the frame at a fair each way price.
The form of his Haydock win hasn’t been overly advertised, although the seventh horse Presenting Copper has been making waves, winning competitive races over fences and hurdles at Chepstow and Cheltenham in the following eight weeks.
The switch to Ditcheat seems to have brought about the best in Medicinal, and he’s certainly been in good heart since leaving Edward O’Grady last year. Nicholls also fits the tongue tie once again, an aid which seems to have done the trick since his only other start for Nicholls resulted in a good third at Aintree back in October.
He’ll love the ground, Sam Thomas keeps the ride, and despite a 10lb hike in the ratings for his Haydock win, he gets in with a handy 10st 10lb here as a result of Nicholls other runner Andreas compressing the weights.
Of the remaining fancied runners I’d have to put a line through I’m So Lucky with David Pipe’s string so bang out of form – there’s no doubt Pipe junior is a seriously good handler, but he didn’t seem at all confident when I chatted to him at Wincanton on Thiursday, and it’s a waiting game for his string, as he’ll be banging in the winners as soon as they’re back on colour.
Doctor David is seriously interesting on his handicap chase debut – he’s another exciting young horse with a tall reputation who’s been bossing small field novice chases and will love the ground and flat track – he’ll be a genuine danger starting off on a mark of 144, but providing his jumping has been worked on at the Ditcheat academy then I’m more than happy to invest in Medicinal each way at 13/2.
Posted 1 year, 1 month ago
Tags: andreas, betting, calgary bay, channel 4, david pipe, doctor david, doncaster racecourse, form, haydock, imsingingtheblues, medicinal, odds, paul nicholls, Sam Thomas, tip, tips, tom lee
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, Sport Betting, sportingbet, stan james, tips | No Comments »
