Double Dutch, 23rd February 2014

Double Dutch

Double Dutch, 23rd February 2014

Back-to-back big priced doubles have banished the spectre of the week’s earlier disappointments and yesterday’s success came in at a very healthy 23.38/1, after wins for Woodford County at 13/2 and Activial at 9/4.

Yesterday’s results were as follows:

Woodford County: won at 11/2 (adv 13/2)
Goodtoknow: PU at 11/4 (adv 85/40)
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Activial: won at 9/4 (adv 2/1)
Alcala: 4th at 7/2 (adv 7/2)

Results to date:
162 winning selections from 562 = 28.83%
55 winning bets in 149 days = 36.91%

Stakes: 294.00pts
Returns: 347.63pts

P/L : +53.63pts (+18.24% ROI)

Hurdling action from either side of the water today:

3.25 Naas:

Willie Mullins’ has an excellent record here at Naas (33% in the last three years), particularly over hurdles, where he has a 38.3% strike rate. With that in mind, it’s highly likely that he’s going to take this race too and as I can’t split his two runners here, so I’ll take both!

City Slicker is a rare AP McCoy ride on a Mullins horse and is a horse in form, having won three of his last four outings. He was disappointing in the Ladbroke hurdle at Ascot two starts ago, when he was well beaten, but roared back to form when taking a Punchestown Rated Hurdle last time out. He’s not exactly thrown in here, but looks to have a really good chance at the weights.

Vicky De L’Oasis actually looks even better weighted, as she receives between 7 and 11 pounds from her male rivals here, giving her an excellent chance to get back to winning ways. She has won five of her ten starts to date (Ireland & France) and the drop back in trip under a featherweight might just swing things in her favour, especially with the in-form Ruby Walsh on board.

The bookies can’t separate the two Mullins’ horses either, as they both trade at the 5/2 BOG mark.

*

3.35 Towcester:

After a string of indifferent (and unplaced!) efforts over the minimum trip, Join The Clan was upped in distance to good effect at Market Rasen last Sunday. Asked to tackle an extra mile on soft ground, he seemed to relish every inch of that 3 mile trip and was actually a more comfortable winner than the official margin of 6 lengths might suggest. he has plenty in the tank that day and if runs to a similar standard here today, the 6lb penalty he carries for that win shouldn’t be enough to halt his progress. That’s probably why he’s only best priced at 6/5 BOG!

After that, there’s not much to recommend from the rest, but I’ll take Cadeau George as my next best for this one. He was a good second at 50/1 last time out, when only beaten by five lengths by a typically unexposed David Pipe stayer. He was only headed at the last hurdle that day and stayed on well enough to put himself 18 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer. Another run like that over a slightly shorter trip might see him push the selection hardest here at odds of up to 9/2 BOG with Bet365.

4 x 0.5pt BOG doubles, as follows:
City Slicker / Join The Clan @ 6.70/1 (5/2 & 6/5 : BetVictor)
City Slicker / Cadeau George @ 16.88/1 (9/4 & 9/2 : Bet365)
Vicky De L’Oasis / Join The Clan @ 6.70/1 (5/2 & 6/5 : BetVictor)
Vicky De L’Oasis / Cadeau George @ 16.88/1 (9/4 & 9/2 : Bet365)