It’s Boxing Day and Andrew Mount is targeting one of the best betting days of the year with his top tips for the action on Thursday 26th December. Check out his best bets here…
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Posted: 1.00pm, Monday, December 23rd (Selection at Wolverhampton added 7:15am Thursday)
1.20 Kempton – WELCOME TO CARTRIES (1pt win – 20/1 bet365)
The Jukebox Man tends to jump and hang to his left and those punters prepared to take very short odds about him in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton – his first run on a right-handed track – are taking quite a risk. Second favourite Hyland could also be vulnerable on the right-handed track – his record this way round reads 436 (0-3) and he jumped out to his left when a 42-length third of four in a handicap hurdle at Taunton in December 2022. This will be his first right-handed chase start and if he does jump to his left he’s going to be in trouble. Third-in Masaccio received the comment “jumped left and hit 3rd” when runner-up to The Jukebox Man and 12 of his 13 runs have taken place on left-handed tracks (the exception resulted in a Kempton win but he started as the 1-6 favourite and simply outclassed his opponents). White Rhino has possibilities but I’m going to chance the Paul Nicholls-trained WELCOME TO CARTRIES, who was pitched straight into Grade 2 company for his chase debut at Sandown earlier this month. That run, which came on unsuitably soft going, was his first of the season and first since a wind operation and his six-length 8-1 fourth to Handstands was certainly no disgrace. His other two right-handed runs produced a win and a narrow second (both at Ascot) and the drying ground is ideal.
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2.30 Kempton JUNTOS GANAMOS (0.5ept ew – 22/1 BetVictor, four places) & GENERAL EN CHEF (0.5pt e/w, 66/1 BetVictor, four places)
The drying ground might not be ideal for Grey Dawning and, while I respect the chances of Il Est Francais, he’s short enough now at around 7-2 and I’d rather take a flyer on two of the other French raiders – JUNTOS GANAMOS and GENERAL EN CHEF at big prices, especially with some firms paying four places. The first-named has spent his entire career racing at figure-of-eight Auteuil, winning eight of his 14 starts, despite often jumping markedly out to his right (he’s usually brought to the stands’ side in the straight to try to curb this tendency). His prominent style will be an asset and there’s every chance he could improve for the switch to right-handed Kempton. General En Chef was a paddock negative prior to his run in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury last month but he was heavily backed and looked the likeliest winner for much of the race before finishing weakly over the 3m2f trip, coming home just over six lengths behind the winner in fourth. I actually laid him for a place pre-race after seeing him awash with sweat but ended up backing him to win in running. His strong-travelling style will be an asset, and he could sneak a place at a huge price despite having plenty to do on official ratings.
4.35 Wolverhampton – HAT TOSS (1.5pt win – 4/1 generally)
I was initially disappointed by the neck defeat of HAT TOSS in a 1m handicap at Lingfield last time when a selection in this column – he certainly wasn’t helped by Sean D Bowen ducking up the inside to challenge – but the winner, Bravo Zulu, has gone in again since and James Owen’s four-year-old looks set to encounter the required strong pace in this 7f handicap. The cut back from 1m could prove helpful for this sometimes-keen sort, he handles Tapeta and the step up from Class 4 to Class 3 level is another interesting angle, as he looks like he could be a better horse in a better race (they’ll go quicker up front which will help his patient running style). Hector Crouch, six from 13 for the yard (+£28.13), takes the ride for the first time.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.20 Kempton – WELCOME TO CARTRIES (1pt win – 20/1 bet365)
2.30 Kempton JUNTOS GANAMOS (0.5ept ew – 22/1 BetVictor, four place) & GENERAL EN CHEF (0.5pt e/w, 66/1 BetVictor, four places)
4.35 Wolverhampton – HAT TOSS (1.5pt win – 4/1 generally)
Andrew Mount’s Myth Busters – Does Cheltenham Form Translate from the Old Course to the New Course?
We have a two-day Cheltenham meeting to get stuck into at the end of the week (Friday/Saturday) where the action switches from the Old Course – used during October/November – to the New Course. Last month, the Racing Post published a ‘Walking The Course With Aidan Coleman’ article in which the jockey highlighted the differences…
Tue 10 Dec 2024
Welcom To Cartries
Andrew Mount’s tips for Thursday 26th December, 2024
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