Well I Declare: 22nd December

Well I Declare: 22nd December

The focus is on Ascot, Haydock, Newcastle and Lingfield today.

SATURDAY 22/12:

Ascot:

Three mile novice handicap hurdle event scheduled for 12.55:  Just the two renewals to date though that said, five-year-olds have won both events whilst securing the forecast positions on each occasion (9/2 & 8/1–6/1 & 14/1).

Class 2 graduation chase scheduled for 1.30: Five year-olds trained by Paul Nicholls have won the last two contests, the trainer holding two such entries this time around.

Eight of the last eleven favourites have won the ‘Long Walk’ which is scheduled to be contested at 2.00.  That said, Big Bucks will not be in attendance this year due to breaking news at the time of writing, even though the nine-year-old was among the five-day acceptors.

Listed Silver Cup event scheduled for 2.35: The last six winners have carried weights of 11-1 or less, whilst last year’s successful (joint) favourite was the first market leader to oblige in a long time, the three previous scorers having prevailed at 33/1-25/1-12/1.  Seven-year-olds have won four of the last seven renewals, statistics which include three of the last four contests.

Listed ‘Ladbroke’ event scheduled for 3.35: Five-year-olds have secured six of the nine renewals.  Nicky Henderson has saddled three of the last eight winners, with the trainer holding four options at the time of writing.  Five of the last seven winners have scored at odds ranging between 12/1 and 33/1 during which time, just one (9/4) favourite obliged.

We still await the first successful favourite (following four renewals) of the scheduled closing event which is a seventeen furlong handicap chase, due off at 3.40 at the time of writing.  All four winners have carried a minimum burden of 11-1.

Haydock:

General stats: Donald McCain held nine options on the card earlier in the week, with the trainer have saddled more than three times the number of winners (35) as the next best potentially involved handler (Nicky Henderson with eleven winners) at Haydock on Saturday.

Class 3 handicap hurdle event scheduled for 12.10: The four favourites to date have secured two gold and two silver medals.  Three of the four winners carried weights of 11-5 or more to victory.

Two mile novice chase scheduled for 12.40: Two favourites have won via seven renewals to date, during which time the biggest priced winner was returned at 4/1.

‘Tommy Whittle Chase’ due to be contested at 2.15: Seven and eight-year-olds have won the last five renewals between them with the older vintage having the edge (3-2).  All five winners have carried 11-4 or less during which time, one successful (10/3) favourite has emerged.

Newcastle:

General stats: Bellaney Express was John Quinn’s only potential runner on the card earlier in the week, the trainer boasting a 29% strike rate at the track in recent years, a ratio which has secured twelve points of level stake profit.

Lingfield:

General stats: Tom Dascombe boasts a level stake profit of fifty-four points via a 25% strike rate at Lingfield during the last five years.