Blinkered Media And Some Weekend Suggestions.

ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN

Confession time – this old age thing is not good news and I have arrived back from my Far East jaunt pretty much cream crackered, so we will only cover one subject this week, and I will keep that pretty brief.

All the news in the racing press for the last few weeks has been about the financial black hole racing faces thanks to the reductions in turnover, but are they missing a trick - I think they may be. The blame has been firmly laid at the door of the Gambling Commission via affordability checks and I suspect that accounts for the majority of the “missing” money – but not all of it. It makes good sense to me that if the safer gambling approach (quite rightly) stops bookmakers rinsing the regular losers, that the only way they can continue their profit margins is to stop those at the top of the pyramid who are making a profit? Bet odds and bonuses have been disappearing as we all know, but I am even more concerned about account closures in their thousands and account restrictions top pennies (closure in all but name) that are reducing the turnover in their own right – but hardly make the news at present. The knock-on effect is pretty dramatic – punters will walk away if they can’t place a sensible bet (or move to the black market - losses to our sport either way), and I still sit here in amazement that successive governments do not see this as an opportunity for a complete overhaul with the obligation to stand a bet part of the “rules” to obtain or keep a bookmaking licence.

Rant over and on to the racing…

Saturday Racing

12.40pm Cheltenham

Hillcrest was way above average over hurdles, winning four of his six starts including the Grade Two Prestige Hurdle at Haydock in 2022, and although off from March 2022 until last month, I believe he still has some miles left in him. He made his chasing bow at Haydock over an inadequate trip where he pulled too hard and found things happening a little too quickly for him, but to finish fourth after such a long break was a pretty admirable performance. Dropped 2lb, dropped a Class,  and upped to over three miles for the 12.40pm at Cheltenham this afternoon I am hoping we see him getting back to near to his peak and if he jumps better with his first run over fence under his belt, he could be too good for these.

3.00pm Cheltenham

Jennie Candlish has a real stable star on her hands with Skyjack Hijack, who has now rattled up a sequence of six wins in a row, starting with a Class Five at Cartmel when rated 97, and finishing with a Class Two at Newcastle last month, which now sees the six-year-old racing off a mark of 138, in improvement of 41lbs in just five months. This will be his biggest ask by some margin, but I like the way he can make the running and his agility over his hurdles, and if he can get an easy lead, I think he may have some of his less experienced rivals making mistakes a long way from home as they attempt to run him down.

3.45pm Southwell

An all-weather newcomer ends our Saturday suggestions when Roger Varian finally unleashes Saddadd in the 3.45pm at Southwell. A beautifully bred son of Pinatubo out of a winning Cape Cross mare, there has been plenty of positive noises emanating from the Newmarket gallops that suggest he has the ability to match his pedigree, and if that is the case he could be an armchair ride for jockey Jack Mitchell.   

Sean’s Suggestions:

Hillcrest each way 12.40pm Cheltenham Saturday