/ Timeform / 17 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Hopefully 16 lines is all we need to get the pot up at Stratford
"Verde Goodwood hasn’t got any form over hurdles, but she was a fair performer on quick ground in bumpers and looks every inch the type to do better in handicaps."
We're headed to Shakespeare country for today's placepot...
14:15 - Rushwee has the best form by some way in this novice hurdle, but he hasn't been in much form of late and shaped as if he'd be better off going down rather than up in trip when below form at Market Rasen last time. The obvious one to take him on with is Stapleton, who shaped like a stayer on hurdling debut at Towcester recently. It's also worth taking a punt on hurdling debutant Black Tor Figaro, whose modest Flat form gives him a squeak. He wouldn't be the first horse to improve for a switch to Lawney Hill's yard.
14:45 - Much like the first race, the one with the best form, namely Ashfield's Dream, is difficult to rate with much confidence on the back of poor efforts on his two most recent starts. However, unlike the opener, the form pick is probably worth taking, as he's miles clear of these judged on what he did when making a successful chasing debut, and might well return freshened up by a break. Ashfield's Dream is pretty obviously not a solid proposition, so the second one worth taking is Job One, who returns to novice company after three less-than-exhilarating runs in handicaps.
15:15 - We'll need a banker at some point, but it doesn't look an option in this five-runner handicap chase. Storm of Applause and Courella look the two best options to ensure we make it to leg four given that High Jack is a sketchy jumper, Sweet Seville is badly out of form and Rory Boy needs to do a Lazarus impression.
15:50 - Verde Goodwood hasn't got any form over hurdles, but she was a fair performer on quick ground in bumpers and looks every inch the type to do better in handicaps, particularly with one of the best conditionals around in Peter Carberry taking the ride. There's obviously a fair bit of risk attached, but she'll do for our first banker of the day.
16:25 - Dante's Storm paid for trying to match strides with Baby Run in the Foxhunters at Cheltenham last time, but he's got the most convincing profile of this lot back in considerably calmer waters, and thus looks a good option for banker number two.
17:00 - Tatispout blotted her copybook over C&D last time, but her form when second to Remember Now the time before makes her the best handicapped of these, so she's probably worth one more chance. It is definitely worth taking another, and we'll go for a somewhat speculative one in Ursus. He barely stays seven furlongs on the Flat, so isn't an obvious one for jumping, but he has shown a bit of aptitude, including when the best of those held up at Hexham last time, and if he's going to win a NH race it'll be at a track like Stratford.
Selections: 16 lines
14:15 - 2, 4
14:45 - 1, 4
15:15 - 1, 3
15:50 - 8
16:25 - 2
17:00 - 3, 9
Merseyside doesn't have much on South Ayrshire (in my own humble opinion of course), but there's no doubt that Liverpool's Grand National puts its Scottish cousin in the shade somewhat. That said, this Saturday's feature is a very competitive race in its own right and, with an equally merciless undercard, the Ayr Placepot promises to be a 'payer'....
Timeform's Phil Thompson thinks today's card at Ayr is perfect for a Placepot....
Cheltenham looks hard and Newmarket is going to involve plenty of guessing, so Beverley is the venue for today's crack at the placepot......
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