Listed runner-up makes hurdling debut for Jonjo and AJ O'Neill at Market Rasen - Thursday's punting pointers
Punting pointers from each of today's race meetings . . .
Chelmsford: Fahey aims for follow-up with Fletcher
Any representative Richard Fahey sends to Chelmsford has to be taken seriously as the trainer has enjoyed four winners from ten runners at the all-weather venue in the last two seasons.
He could take his record at the track this term to two winners from three runners should Flying Fletcher defy a penalty in the 6f handicap (7.30). The topweight made it two wins from his last two all-weather starts when scoring by two and a half lengths at Newcastle nine days ago. The three-year-old seems to have benefited from a gelding operation at the end of his juvenile campaign and he is officially 2lb well in here.
Market Rasen stat: jockey to note
Lee Edwards has ridden three winners from five rides at Market Rasen this season to produce a level-stakes profit of £37. He has a chance of enhancing that 60 per cent strike-rate when partnering rules debutant Inishnabro in the opening 2m½f maiden hurdle (12.20) and potentially G'Day Aussie (3.15), should he take his chance after finishing fifth at Hereford on Tuesday.
Market Rasen: Listed runner-up makes hurdling debut
Rula Bula makes her first appearance since finishing second in a Listed bumper at Sandown in March in Market Rasen's 2m4½f mares' maiden hurdle (12.55). The five-year-old also made the frame in another Listed contest when finishing fourth at Doncaster in December and the runner-up Listentoyourheart has won both of her starts over hurdles since.
That offers hope the daughter of Mount Nelson can make a successful hurdling debut at a track where her trainers Jonjo and AJ O'Neill unleashed another smart prospect in Roadlesstravelled last month.
Rula Bula's bumper victory at Warwick came on soft ground and the going is officially described as good at Market Rasen. However, joint-trainer AJ O'Neill said: "She showed good form in bumpers and is ground versatile. She looks like she'll get a trip in time. She schools well and is one to look forward to in mares' races.”
Sedgefield: hat-trick bid
Clean Getaway has been in superb form at Sedgefield this season, running well on each of his four starts and winning on his last two.
The seven-year-old has the chance of completing a course hat-trick in the 2m4f limited novice handicap hurdle (3.00). He escapes a penalty for his win nine days ago and is 10lb ahead of the handicapper.
The son of Getaway is undoubtedly better over fences, having recorded a third chase victory on his penultimate start, and this trip will be the longest he has encountered since rejoining Phil Kirby after a spell pointing with Simon Olley.
Kirby said: "He's clearly in really good form. The hurdles weren't a problem last time, which is good, and the ground will be lovely for him. He's gone up 10lb, so we're 10lb well in, in theory. It's a bit of a trappy race and you can make a case for a few of them, but we might as well give it a good go."
Taunton stat: profitable jockey
A £1 stake on all 30 of David Noonan's rides at Taunton last season would have yielded a profit of £27.53. The Grade 1-winning jockey is booked on the Jane Williams-trained pair of Loki's Mischief (1.40) and Tout Sur Moi (2.15) for the track's season opener.
Taunton: old adversaries meet again
Taunton's 2m7f handicap chase (2.50) features a rematch between School For Scandal and Jony Max, who finished in that order at Wincanton last month. School For Scandal was put up 3lb for that length-and-a-half win over Jony Max, who franked the form when going one better off a 1lb higher mark at Warwick last Tuesday.
Therefore, School For Scandal actually meets Jony Max on 2lb better terms and is still rated 1lb lower than when scoring by four lengths on his last visit to this track in April 2023.
Jony Max is still officially 2lb well in under his 7lb penalty but another threat may come from Lock Out, who landed a gamble at Chepstow on his penultimate start before failing to follow up when odds-on only three days later.
The form of that fourth-placed effort at Hereford was boosted on Tuesday when the winner, Moodofthemoment, defied a 5lb rise to make it back-to-back course-and-distance successes.
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- Watch: Maddy Playle, Graeme Rodway and Johnny Dineen preview the weekend's racing on The Morning Post
- Saturday updates: sore foot rules Lossiemouth out of Morgiana clash with State Man and Brighterdaysahead
- 'He won't even need to be at his best to win this' - Harry Wilson returns with his fancies for every race on ITV on Saturday
- 'He could be anything and he's 20-1' - David Jennings answers the big questions ahead of a super Saturday of jumps action
- 2.30 Haydock: 'I’d love him to step into open company' - Dan Skelton on his two runners in valuable staying handicap hurdle