Wetherby 3.40
Wetherby 3.40 4 Free Range @ 9/2 / 6 Stay In Touch @ 9/1 (WH / Coral / Sky - odds to 4th place) 1/2 point each way
(see notes for Mentions also in this race)
Wetherby 3.40 is a tricky Handicap Hurdle over 2 miles and 5 Furlongs, Class 4 and a field of 13 and what attracts me
most to the race is the perennial battle of potential v proven form, the fact we have a number here with decent and as yet unexposed P2P form;
and the added benefit of William Hill, Coral and SkyBet going odds to 4th place and that is significant in regard to the "Mentions" which I'll come
on to later on. The Favourite is Isle Of Ewe but going up in trip and after a run following a long break 5/2 does not scream value; of greater value
as a WIN bet or an E/W saver (leave that up to your own preference) is FREE RANGE at 9/2. The Skelton Team are in decent form, and this 3 mile
P2P winner on Heavy and Soft reverts to Hurdles, last 2 Hurdles results were a win and runner up and probably they feel needs to get a bit of
confidence and momentum back after some Novice Chasing. Those P2P wins validate stamina and looks like a very nice handicap mark.
STAY IN TOUCH comes from the McCain "win factory"; certainly followers of the Yard have been cashing in their chips all season (!); makes handicap
debut here and collateral Novice form indicates a very reasonable handicap mark; also has winning 3 mile P2P form and the 9/1 looks cracking value
in the context of the Odds to 4th place referred to above. I feel obliged to have a dabble under those place terms of CHRISTMAS TWENTY; you may
recall me tipping that at 50/1 when it was placed at Sedgefield over this trip on penultimate run, I still feel it could have won that day and has a decent
runner up spot at this Course in the midst of some poor form, just a niggle with me it could "pop up"; the same applies to FORTY CROWN who we
have also tipped on one recent run, just still looks like a horse being plotted for a late season win to me, back at right trip and right conditions and I
will have a few bob on both of the mention horses, as feel at least one of them is likely to out-run very big odds here in a tricky race.