BEST of the BETS

PADDY POWER 3:35 York @ 33/1

Paul Hanagan is reunited with a horse that he obviously gets on with, having ridden 3 wins from 7 rides on the gelding.
This is Hanagan’s only ride booked today, and it looks like he’s usually booked to get the job done on this one, as horse as only won 2 other races without him onboard.
Hanagan has had to get down to 8-3 to ride this bottom weight today (8-2 being his lowest riding weight in the past 12 months)

This race is obviously ultra competitive, and going to be a huge challenge for Paddy Power in a class 2 event (all winning has been done in Class 4 races), but he does have plenty of experience of racing in C2 events.
Horse is back down to last winning mark of 80 (June at York ridden by Hanagan).
Ground should not be an issue as has form on all kinds of going.
Horse has won at 6 furlongs twice.

Cheekpieces are applied today, only the 2nd time in 35 races, a tactic that didn’t work the first time over 2 years ago. My hope is that Fahey is just throwing everything into gaining a good run from the horse, who has shown very little since that win in June.

We all know that Fahey loves these targeting these big handicaps, and his only other entry today is in the closing amateur riders race.
He is part owner of this horse too.
He had a nice 16/1 winner last night at Chelmsford, ridden by Hanagan, whilst they also had a 10/1 3rd which opened up at 25/1.

Now the really clutching at straws bits…..

This racee has been won by horse’s drawn 10 or higher on 8 occasions in the past 10 years (admittedly fields have all been larger than today’s 15 runners). PP is drawn 14 today.
5 of the last 6 winners have been returned at odds of 16/1 or higher…
28/1, 33/1, 16/1, 11/2, 25/1, 20/1 (winning SP’s since 2012)
would suggest that it’s the sort of race where it may be worth having a poke on a higher priced animal if you fancy.

I’m sure there are plenty of negatives that can be picked out, particularly trying to compete at this class, but at 33/1 I think it’s worth a little e/w punt. 28/1 (enhanced 4 places at B365)