Saturday’s horse racing preview
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Midlands Grand National takes centre stage
We are now out the other end of what was a stunning Cheltenham Festival, and Friday was the perfect end to a breath-taking few days of British horse racing. The show must go on however, and we are straight back in on Saturday’s schedule at Uttoxeter.
The Midlands Grand National highlights an eight-race card at Uttoxeter. Click here to place your bets on all of Saturday’s UK and Irish horse racing, or if you are still undecided, read on as we preview the feature.
Worth opposing the favourite
20-runners are expected to post at 3.35pm for the 2017 renewal of the Midlands Grand National, with a mammoth four-miles one-furlong trip ahead. Scudamore’s Mysteree head’s the betting going into the day, and Coral traders have the in-form eight-year-old gelding as a 7/1 hopeful at the time of writing.
It’s a tight field, but we struggle to argue against that stance, with the jolly arriving on the back of an impressive warm-up win at Newcastle last time out in the Eider Handicap Chase. He saw Knockanrawley into second that day, despite going off at double-figure odds. Mysteree was pulled up in the Sussex National earlier this year however, after making a mistake four out, and I am eager to oppose.
Goulanes deserves forgiveness
Instead, we have a go on previous winner Goulanes, who came home in front back in 2014. That looked a tougher task than he faces today, and although he arrives on the back of a poor run of form, pulling up in the Coral Welsh National and falling in the Greatwood Veterans Handicap Chase, I am keen to keep faith.
Neil Mulholland and Noel Fehily team up with the selection, and that looks worth taking notice of, especially with Coral handing out as much 12/1 as you can carry. For more reserved punters, we’re also paying each-way terms of 1/5 the odds 1-2-3-4-5. Have your say now!
Linenhall to deliver in lucky last
Next best on the card goes in the lucky last, and we throw our weight behind Ben Pauling’s Linenhall. Last seen placing at Exeter in February, he was a real eye-catcher that day, leading the race under the ride of Nico de Boinville, before being collared close home.
Air Navigator and Harefield were both ahead of him on that occasion, but he handled himself with credit and if we get the kind of improvement I am expecting here, we’ll be on to a good thing. Opened at 9/4, but I predict plenty of support in the run-up to the off.
Uttoxeter Selections
1.50 – Broughtons Rhythm
2.25 – Rock The Kasbah
3.00 – Dashing Oscar
3.35 – Goulanes
4.10 – Ballyarthur
4.45 – Ballycoe
5.20 – Flobury
5.50 – Linenhall
