Double Dutch 7th December 2013

Double Dutch

Double Dutch, 7th December 2013

It was another no score yesterday for Double Dutch and, as Chris is unavailable this morning, I’m stepping in with a couple of Sandown races that look made for the top of the market.

Yesterday’s results were as follows:

Sylvan Legend: 7th at 2/1
Cuckoo Rock: 6th at 9/1
———————————
Beat That: 2nd at 9/4
Saint Roque: 3rd at 5/4

Results to date:
74 winning selections from 272 = 27.21%
22 winning doubles in 74 days = 29.73%

Stakes: 146.00pts
Returns: 135.50pts

P/L : -10.50pts (-7.19% ROI)

A couple of quite differing hurdle events to consider today:

1.50 Sandown

This is a hot Grade 1 with strength in depth. Despite that, I have a strong opinion on one of the top three in the betting. Grandouet is a bad jumper. He fell over hurdles twice, and he failed to complete on his sole start over fences to date. Don’t get me wrong, he’s very talented. But so are plenty of better jumpers in this classy line up.

The two against him are the impressive/progressive Taquin De Seuil, and Hinterland.

The former won well at Cheltenham last time on ground presumed to be quicker than ideal, and though he might prefer a stiffer test of stamina, he doesn’t lack for speed either.

The latter beat Grandouet the last day, and would have done even if that one had stood up. There might be little between them if they both complete but Hinterland is twice the price and that looks wrong.

Balder Succes is respected, but he’s another stepping up markedly in class and his jumping is sketchy too. Taquin De Seuil is a general 3/1 and Hinterland is available at as big as 6/1 with Stan James.

3.00 Sandown

A bigger field than normal, largely due to the defection of Sprinter Sacre, for this year’s Tingle Creek, and it looks a very good contest all the same. The top two in the betting look rock solid to me, and I’m taking them against the field here.

Sire de Grugy (15/8) has shown himself to be a classy two mile chaser, and has a Grade 2 course and distance win under his belt. The ground is fine and he comes here fit from two starts already this term.

If there’s one progressive horse in the line up, it’s Captain Conan (9/4), who closed out last season winning at Aintree over two and a half miles. He too has course and distance form, though, in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Chase (our other DD race today).

Captain Conan could go right to the top of the two mile chasing tree, and is a ready stable replacement for Sprinter Sacre, should anything go awry with that super-equine.

4 x 0.5pt BOG doubles as follows:
Taquin de Seuil / Sire de Grugy @ 10.52/1 PP
Taquin de Seuil / Captain Conan @ 14/1 888sport
Hinterland / Sire de Grugy @ 18.25/1 SJ
Hinterland / Captain Conan @ 25.25/1 888sport