Tix Picks, Wednesday 11/12/24

Wednesday's racing comes from Dundalk, Hexham, Hereford & Kempton.
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Today's pools

Today's meetings, pools and minimum guarantees are as follows, including a £50,000 placepot guarantee at Kempton...

...and as I've not played Hereford for some time, we'll head there where the ground is expected to be good to soft for our six races that kick off with...

Leg 1 @ 12.35...Jac Jumper has been a runner-up twice and fourth twice in four efforts over fences and never really beaten by far, could be involved down in class and in first-time cheekpieces. Iron d'Ex battled his way to a victory at Ludlow on chase debut in October when returning from six months off the track. hasn't quite hit those heights in two runs since, but I wouldn't write him off just yet. Supasunrise has made the frame in 7 of 18 over fences and has been placed in two of his three starts this term, beaten by just three lengths last time out. 2m4f-2m5f is his preferred trip and he has made the frame in 2 of 4 over course and distance.

Boys Of Wexford has been placed in half of his twelve chases, winning twice including last time out at Fontwell where he stayed on well to win by over 4 lengths pulling away. His last five results read 322P1 having been pulled up in the only race without cheekpieces! Fashion's Model ended the last campaign with results of 24P1 culminating in a four length success at Wincanton. Hasn't looked the same horse in two runs at Ludlow this time around, but a change of scenery might do her some good.

I'll take (9) Boys of Wexford here with (3) Jac Jumper and (4) Iron d'Ex as the alternates.

Leg 2 @ 1.05...This looks like a three horse race to me, starting with (1) Pigeon House who'll look to bounce back from a poor run LTO and now runs for the first time for his new yard. Placed in 9 of 15 over hurdles, he won two starts ago at Ballinrobe and is 133361P since a creditable 9th of 22 in this year's Fred Winter.

(2) Sayva was 1 from 2 in bumpers and is 1 from 2 over hurdles after making the frame on his first effort at Sedgefield coming off a four month break, before scoring at Newcastle by twelve lengths six weeks ago. A similar run gives him a big chance here. Bottom-weight (10) I've Madeupmymind makes a hurdling debut after some decent runs in four bumper defeats. A runner-up on debut and third last time out, both at Class 5 sandwich a pair of decent efforts at Listed class and Class 2, so if taking to hurdling, she could be a cut above the rest here.

I'll take all three, of course!

Leg 3 @ 1.35...Again, there's only really three runners that I have any interest in, starting with my likely winner Secret Des Dieux, who was a runner-up on his third and final bumper run at Uttoxeter back in April before showing little on hurdling debut in May. A change of tactics and a six month break seemed to do the trip at Fakenham recently though, as he raced keenly on his way to a 7.5 length success.

Guchen remains unexposed after just one start to date back in May and although only 5th of 7 in a Southwell bumper on soft ground that day, he was only just over 4.5 lengths off the pace and the first to home have made the frame in all three combined starts since at Class 4. Montana Golden had a couple of decent bumper efforts under his belt in the summer, but never really got to grips with things on his hurdling debut at Kempton recently coming off a four-month break. He should come on for the run, he'll have been well schooled by a good yard and this looks a weaker race than LTO.

Again, all three will find their way onto my ticket builder.

Leg 4 @ 2.05...Grove Road has benefited from a switch from cheekpieces to a visor and has won both starts since the change of headgear, scoring over 3m3f at Newton Abbot in July and then again over today's trip at Huntingdon almost three weeks ago. Up in class and weight, but should still be well involved here. Drop Flight is probably a better chaser than he is a hurdler if truth be told and he was disappointing at Warwick recently. That said, he's in really good hands, ran well two starts ago to make the frame and if things fall his way, he could well grab some prize money from a modest-looking race.

Pipers Cross had made the frame in ten of thirteen handicap hurdles before moving to Emma Lavelle's yard. He wasn't disgraced on yard debut at Bangor, beaten by just six lengths after a six-month layoff and I'd expect better from him here. He didn't wear his cheekpieces last time out, but had finished 221314 in his six other races this year, all in cheekpieces which will be re-fitted today! Bottom-weight Newtonian is one of those 'close but no cigar' types who just doesn't just quite do enough to win and it'll probably be the same here. His sole win from 17 efforts over hurdles came at Warwick in May and his 2024 form reads 44431P34 and has only gone down by three lengths in both starts this season. I see him as a good chance of being in the frame today, but not as the winner.

Grove Road looks my idea of a winner here with Pipers Cross next best. Drop Flight has yet to prove he's a 3m+ hurdler, so Newtonian could be the final placer.

Leg 5 @ 2.35...This could well be a tight contest with only Ascension Day lacking appeal on chase debut having not gone well in three PTP contests. Elsewhere Tapley has been well beaten in his last two outings, including by 17 lengths on chase debut at Newbury just a fortnight ago. he did make the frame in 11 of 18 over hurdles though and was a Class 1 runner-up so there's definitely ability there if jumping well.

Finest View was also well beaten (18L) on chase debut last month, but had finished 12222 in his last five over hurdles. 2m5f was probably too far for him on that chase debut and might fare better over this 2m trip where he won 4 of 6 over hurdles. Beat Box should also love the trip with a career record of 6 wins and 4 further places from 17 over 2m/2m½f. He rattled off four wins on the bounce over fences on August/September, but was beaten by 11 lengths as 4th of 5th next/last time out and his OR of 115 might just be beyond him for win purposes, having started off just 89 five races ago.

Lime Drop was knocking on the door from his very first start over fences back in May 23 finishing 2232252 before finally getting off the mark at Uttoxeter almost four weeks ago. He seemed to have more in hand than a 1.5 length margin might suggest and a 5lb rise might not stop him. Torneo was useful over hurdles last season finishing 23126 before a six month break ahead of a chase career. He was a reasonable third of seven at Uttoxeter on his chase debut after that layoff and kicked on with a staying-on second of at Wincanton last month, beaten by just half a length. He's up 3lbs, but gets weight all round and could be a danger.

Plenty with chances here, but I actually like Lime Drop as a potential winner here and in a safety-first approach, I'll be adding Beat Box and Tapley as backups.

Leg 6 @ 3.07...It's Easy has struggled to see out longer trips, but was second of six over 2m½f at Class 4 two starts ago. 2m at Class 5, eased a pound and with a 3lb claimer on board today, this might be her best chance of getting off the mark. Villainess will run without her hood today after two uninspiring runs in it with it not having the desired effect. Prior to those two outings, she had finished 222514 over hurdles with 2214 over this trip. A Little Something is of interest at what will probably be a big price. She's unexposed after one bumper and three over hurdles, but was in the frame on that bumper run in July and was a decent second of six at Huntingdon last time out. She's down in class and an opening handicap mark of 93 might be workable and she might well be a nice E/W bet for someone.

Culligran has finished 2331 in her four handicap hurdles to date, wining here by seven lengths over course and distance a fortnight ago, having stayed on well and pulled away. She's up 7lbs for that run, but a similar effort here could/should be enough. Lady Caro is the stablemate of A Little Something and is probably Miss Lavelle's first string here. She has, however, yet to win after 12 starts, but has made the frame in three of five handicap hurdles contests and was second of fourteen last time out. She was, admittedly, some 12 lengths behind the winner who has since made the frame again, but she was almost ten lengths clear of the horse back in third.

A tricky finale for me, but I think my 1-2-3 is going to be Culligran, It's Easy and Lady Caro.

*

All of which gives me...

Leg 1: (9) Boys of Wexford, (3) Jac Jumper & (4) Iron d'Ex

Leg 2: (2) Sayva, (1) Pigeon House & (10) I've Madeupmymind

Leg 3: (1) Secret Des Dieux, (2) Guchen & (5) Montana Golden

Leg 4: (3) Grove Road, (8) Pipers Cross & (11) Newtonian

Leg 5: (4) Lime Drop, (3) Beat Box & (1) Tapley

Leg 6: (1) Culligran, (6) It's Easy & (7) Lady Caro

...and here's how I'd play them, whilst trying to stay close to a nominal £20 total stake...

Other Recent Posts by This Author:

• Tix Picks, Saturday 04/01/25
• Tix Picks, Friday 03/01/25
• Tix Picks, Thursday 02/01/25
• Tix Picks, Tuesday 31/12/24
• Tix Picks, Monday 30/12/24