Bet of the day: Ashcott Boy in limited handicap at Southwell
Published:
Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | March 7, 2016
Coral’s bet of the day
- Mulholland gelding Ashcott Bay has a growing reputation over fences
- Three wins out of four since sent chasing
- Race rivals are flops
Ashcott the Boy to back
Ashcott Boy looks a worthy favourite to win the 1m 7f limited handicap (14:00) that opens Southwell’s card on Monday, despite heavy going.
Neil Mulholland’s chestnut gelding has scored in three of his four starts now sent chasing this season, but is yet to be put up in the weights from 11st 8lb despite his success.
Eight-year-old Ashcott Boy first caught the eye when romping home by 18 lengths in an amateur riders’ handicap at Worcester back in October.
Horse has taken to chasing
He backed that up with narrower victories at Sedgefield when reappearing just four days later and at Plumpton the following month, with all three wins over further than today’s trip.
Jockey David Noonan has been in the saddle for all three of Ashcott Boy’s successes, so Mulholland has them partnered again for this Southwell assignment.
It looks a poor class 4 handicap on paper with just four horses in the field in total, and it’s little wonder that Ashcott Boy isn’t odds-on to take it.
Top weight no problem
Carrying top weight should hold no fears for this horse that is now rated 111 over fences by the BHA.
Four of Mulholland’s 13 horses to have contested jumps races in the last 14 days have either won or been placed, so that suggests his stable is in decent form.
Ashcott Boy proved a handy hurdler last season, winning two handicaps at Worcester in quick succession during September 2014.
Well-rested ahead of Southwell show
Mulholland has now opted to rest the horse for three-and-a-half months following his chasing exploits, and also saddles race rival Johns Luck.
Unlike Aschott Boy, however, his stablemate has won just one of 20 races over jumps, leaving Henry Oliver’s Moscow Me as the main danger.
Although giving 7lb in the weights, Moscow Me flopped badly at Carlisle last time out over this distance when a 20-length third of four to Morning Royalty. It is Ashcott Boy, then, that is worth siding with at Southwell.
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