Premier League: Logic-defying West Ham target tenth

"West Ham’s chances of finishing above halfway for the second straight season will depend on how quicklythey can ascend to the famed 40-point platform."
Recommended Bet: Back-to-lay West Ham for a top-half finish @ 5.59/2

Michael Lintorn admires West Ham's rapid rise up the table during a campaign of contradictions at the Boleyn Ground...

West Ham are undergoing the most surreal of seasons.

They are relegation candidates who keep a clean sheet every other game and boast two more than anyone else in the division: a side who hadn't won successive Premier League matches under Sam Allardyce before just delivering three in a row.

Goalkeeper Adrian hadn't played in the league before December 21 yet less than two months on is the overwhelming crowd favourite. Record signing Andy Carroll's suspension has inspired their most clinical finishing of the campaign.

Star centre back Winston Reid is on the bench during their longest ever Premier League clean sheet streak, while Mohamed Diame, Ravel Morrison and Antonio Nocerino can't get a start because left winger Matt Taylor - who started none of the first 16 - is bossing things in the centre of the park.

However, the greatest oddity of all is that two victories in four days against Aston Villa and Norwich have launched them from the relegation zone to the top half, with the ongoing potential to yo-yo between either realm. The Irons are 5.59/2 to secure a top-ten finish, compared to 9.617/2 to go down.

Which is more likely? The fact that there is only one top-half vacancy - ninth-placed Newcastle are nine points ahead with a home game in hand against Tottenham - compared to three for a spot in the Championship means that there is little in it.

West Ham's chances of finishing above halfway for the second straight season will depend on how quickly - if at all, of course - they can ascend to the famed 40-point platform. Stationed on 28 with 12 fixtures to snare the required four wins from, it sounds simple, but isn't quite.

They face seven of the top eight in that final 12, including four of the supposed Big Six in their closing six, and Spurs are the only top-ten team that they have beaten.

The helpful recent habit of defeating the clubs around them - something that they struggled with previously - must therefore be retained, with Hull and Crystal Palace at home and Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom away the key clashes.

The biggest indicator though could be how they fare in their next two encounters against the least intimidating of the top eight - Southampton at home and Everton away.

Four points from that double header would really put them in the frame, whereas failure to win either would relaunch their relegation battle. It is consequently vital that momentum is maintained over the upcoming FA Cup-inflicted 11-day game break before hosting Southampton.

Recommended Bet: Back-to-lay West Ham for a top-half finish @ 5.59/2

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Supreme Novices' Hurdle: Billy's target depends on ground

Puffin Billy is likely to run in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two miles at the Cheltenham Festival if the ground remains on the soft side...

Puffin Billy is likely to run in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two miles at the Cheltenham Festival if the ground remains on the soft side...

Trainer Oliver Sherwood had previously stated he was favouring the longer Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle for his unbeaten youngster, but the prevailing conditions have seen him have a change of heart.

Puffin Billy was entered last weekend in the race won by Rebecca Curtis' At Fishers Cross, but Sherwood decided to swerve it as he did not fancy running him over two miles and five furlongs for the first time in heavy ground.

"I was perturbed about running over that trip for the first time on very tiring ground," Sherwood told At The Races.

"He'll go to Exeter on Sunday week for a Listed hurdle over two-one. He's in A1 form and I'm very happy with him.

"He'll have entries in both races in March. I know I said I was swaying towards the Neptune but my gut feeling is if it's soft ground he'll almost certainly run in the Supreme and if it's drier than that I might switch to the Neptune. I'm pretty certain we'll wait until closer to the race (before making a definite decision).

Look out for Brand new features with Timeform Race Passes - In-Play Hints, Running Notes & Warning Horses. Find out more at timeform.com.

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Racing News: Teaforthree to target Welsh National

Teaforthree's front-running style should be perfectly suited to a race of this nature...

Rebecca Curtis has recently stated that her stable star, Teaforthree, will be aimed at next season's Welsh Grand National, over three miles and five furlongs at Chepstow in December...

Teaforthree demonstrated stamina to be his forte in last month's National Hunt Challenge Cup, defeating Harry the Viking by two lengths in the four mile amateur race at the Cheltenham Festival.

That victory provided Curtis with her first winner at the Cheltenham Festival and it now seems she wants to land her first National prize with the same horse.

The Chepstow course can catch a lot of horses out, especially in mid winter, but Teaforthree has won there twice before, producing his best Timeform rating of 145 on each occasion, and he looks a superb National candidate at this stage.

His front-running style should be perfectly suited to a race of this nature and his jumping, good attitude and willingness to respond to pressure are all key attributes likely to hold him in good stead.

There is also a chance that Teaforthree runs in next season's Aintree National, for which he is currently trading at (36.035/1) on Betfair.

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Coolmore Classic: Streama looking to hit target at Rosehill for Bowman

News / Editor / 21 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Rosehill Gardens

"Steps In Time has has her work cut out from stall 12 however, as does Victorian multiple Group 1 winner Yosei..."

The Group 1 Coolmore Classic (due off 05:10 GMT) is the feature at Rosehill on Saturday, and top-weight Secret Admirer has been allotted stall six of 14 for the fillies and mares showpiece.

Trained by Graeme Begg and the mount of Brenton Avdulla, four-year-old Secret Admirer is set to carry 58kg in the $600,000 Coolmore Classic having landed the Group 1 Epsom Handicap over 1600m at Randwick in the spring prior to running third in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes over 1600m at Flemington in November.

With Secret Admirer a [12.0] chance, current market leader is Streama at [3.1], the Syndey-based filly having won the Group 2 Surround Stakes over 1400m on her latest outing. She will carry 55kg and will be ridden from stall nine by regular partner Hugh Bowman.

John O'Shea's up-and-coming Steps In Time is next best in the betting at [5.2] and is the mount of Jim Cassidy. Steps In Time has has her work cut out from stall 12 however, as does Victorian multiple Group 1 winner Yosei , who will go from barrier 10 under Michelle Payne.

On the card 40 minutes earlier is another Group 1, the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), in which first and second in the Group 1 Australian Stakes, Manighar and Southern Speed, are taken on by Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes winner Shoot Out.

Peter Moody's former Euro Manighar, who will be ridden from stall four by stable jockey Luke Nolen, narrowly landed the Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington on March 10 and is currently trading at [5.6] for a race in which the Chris Waller-trained Shoot Out is [3.55] market leader.

A total of nine fillies will do battle for the $300,000 Group 2 Jacobs Creek Reisling Stakes (1200m) with star juvenile Samaready ([1.7] favourite) looking to enhace her claims for the Golden Slipper at the track on April 7, for which she currently heads the betting at [3.6].

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Dual Group 2 winner Best Terms came through her first serious gallop of 2012 with flying colours....

It is said that there are few certainties in life other than death and taxes. After a hectic Cheltenham Festival, jumps handicapper Phil Turner can add a few more to that list- whichever lane you change into during a motorway traffic jam immediately becomes the slowest, there are far more lows than highs when you're a lifelong Evertonian and, of course, Big Buck's will continue to remain unbeaten over hurdles.........

Joseph O'Brien has played down speculation linking him with the mount on So You Think in the Dubai World Cup on Saturday week....

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Betfair Denman Chase: Carruthers on target after serious injury scare

News / Timeform / 01 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Mark Bradstock's Carruthers.

""He's OK now, but we were extremely lucky in that melee at the first bend at Chepstow..."

Carruthers could be back in action at Newbury on Saturday week after escaping serious injury in the Coral Welsh National.

The Hennessy hero, who won that Grade handicap despite running to a Timeform rating still 7 lb shy of his peak 158 figure, needed several stitches after being badly struck into in the Chepstow marathon.

Mark Bradstock's popular nine-year-old, owned and bred by Lord Oaksey, claimed a famous success when making most of the running at Newbury in November and may be fit enough to return there for the Betfair Denman Chase.

"He's OK now, but we were extremely lucky in that melee at the first bend at Chepstow because a centimetre either way could have been structural damage and fatal, but it was nasty and through to the bone," said trainer Mark Bradstock's wife and assistant Sara.

"That would have gone a long way to explaining the run. He hated been stuck in the middle of the bunch anyway, but he would have been lacking power off one back leg.

"Probably the fact he went a circuit doing that has been a bit of an overstrain on a hamstring. It's not bad, but he's not lame, it's just a tweak.

"He gives his all, so he has to be perfect.

"He's back in training and the plan is to go to Newbury. Whether he will make that or not we don't know at this stage. We'll see how he is at the end of the week."

Looking further ahead, Carruthers is currently [180.0] for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a race in which he finished ninth last year but fourth to Imperial Commander in 2010.

George Charlton has Cheltenham Festival aspirations for Knockara Beau following his third-placed finish in the Argento Chase....

As expected, last year's Grand National hero Ballabriggs will return for another crack at the Aintree showpiece on Saturday April 14......

Trainer Robbie Hennessy will follow a tried-and-tested route by running Rubi Light at Gowran before heading to Cheltenham......

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Irish Grand National Betting: Mullins to finally hit the target

Tipping / Stuart Jones / 22 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

Champion trainer Willie Mullins is still looking for his first winner of the Irish National

"Some Target is still unexposed over fences, especially at extreme distances, and current odds of [14.0] look to underplay his potential".

The Irish Grand National is the feature race at Fairyhouse on Easter monday and Stuart Jones takes you through the most interesting runners......

Beautiful Sound will have gone onto plenty of people's shortlists for this race after an eye-catching third to Holmwood Legend in the Byrne Group Plate at Cheltenham last month and it's not that surprising to see him as short as [8.0] at the time of writing. Lightly raced and progressive, Beautiful Sound did well to get as close as he did to the winner at Cheltenham, given plenty of time to recover from blunders at the second and third, and hampered when starting to make ground four out. However, he's not even guaranteed a run in the race yet (currently second reserve), didn't look totally happy on the ground at Cheltenham (hung left), and represents little ante-post value at the current odds.

Prince Erik took a while to get his act together over fences, jumping errors blighting his early efforts, but he appears to have put those problems behind him this term and has won two of his last four starts over the larger obstacles, beating Montan by a neck in a novice at Naas in March. Prince Erik has been hit hard for those wins, though, this chase mark 25 lb higher than his last winning one over hurdles, whilst he's far from certain to stay this far. Therefore others make more appeal.

Willie Mullins has a predictably strong hand in a race he has somewhat surprisingly never had the winner of, and Some Target looks to have the best chance of his five entries. Better than the result suggests when a never-nearer fifth behind Chicago Grey in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last month, Some Target is still unexposed over fences, especially at extreme distances, and current odds of [14.0] look to underplay his potential.

The [16.0] about Organisedconfusion looks plenty short enough given what he's actually achieved over fences. Lucky to win a minor event at Clonmel in February, Organisedconfusion admittedly showed improved form when touched off by Ruler of All in a novice hurdle at Gowran since, but his suspect jumping has to be a concern in a big field like this and he's already been beaten from lower chase marks in the past.

Leading owner JP McManus has enjoyed his fair share of success in the race and he is represented by several of those prominent in the betting. Running plans are yet to be confirmed for British raiders Quantitiveeasing, Sunnyhillboy and Synchronised, but none of the trio would be of any real interest were they to take part, anyway. Quantativeasing has never shaped like one crying out for this marked step up in trip, similar applies to the suspect jumper Sunnyhillboy, and although proven over marathon distances, Synchronised is coming to the end of a hard season and the ground appears to be going against him.

The Paul Nolan-trained See U Bob also sports the famous McManus silks, but whilst he's been in very good heart over fences of late, narrowly beaten by Hughies Grey at Navan last time, he looks an extremely doubtful stayer and is of more interest for place-laying purposes than win ones.

Whatuthink is an interesting runner from the Oliver McKiernan yard. Third to Bluesea Cracker in last year's corresponding event, the formerly smart hurdler has had a much lighter campaign this term (reportedly suffered a broken jaw at Aintree), and hinted that a return to his best was close when a patiently-ridden third to Hughies Gray at Navan last time, finishing best of all. Whatuthink is just a pound higher in the weights than last year and looks to have excellent each-way claims at [14.0].

The aforementioned Hughies Grey has really come good over fences since the turn of the year, winning the Ulster National at Downpatrick and then showing useful form to beat See u bob in a Grade 2 at Navan last time. He's unlikely to get things his own way up front to such an extent this time, though, and the handicapper appears to have overreacted to that recent improvement.

In summary, the participation of current favourite Beautiful Sound is obviously going to be a major factor in a typically competitive renewal of one of Ireland's premier staying events, but there is sufficient doubt about him to want to look elsewhere, and punters could do a lot worse than backing Some Target and Whatuthink in the win and place markets.

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