Techno and Hawkeye can keep Owen in the groove
WITH good midweek racing from both Cheltenham and Newmarket, I’m going to have a crack at the action on Wednesday before taking aim at Good Friday’s card at Newcastle later on.
Much of the focus at Cheltenham is sure to be on the latest developments in the race for the trainers’ title that sees Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins currently separated by less than £10,000.
In the first of two ITV races from Cheltenham (2.05pm), the Skeltons field Doyen Quest, who won this contest 12 months ago but lines up off a 12lb higher mark this time around.
While he can go well, my eye is drawn to James Owen’s BALLYTECHNO near the foot of the weights.
He was kept to good ground with excellent results, recording wins at Huntingdon and Ascot last autumn, before finding a soft surface at Sandown against him in December.
Back on better ground he put in a decent performance to finish third at Kelso last time, and the similar ground conditions he is set to encounter at Cheltenham will be ideal for him.
On the back of a break, he comes here fresh and there should be more to come on only his third handicap start off a lowly mark of 118.
Callum Pritchard’s five-pound claim is valuable too and it all helps make Ballytechno an enticing each-way bet at around 12/1.
In the following race, the Grade Two Silver Trophy Handicap Chase (2.40pm), Mullins has the top two in the betting as he bids to land the lion’s share of this £70,000 contest.
However, this clearly hasn’t been the plan for O’Moore Park and Classic Getaway, and I’m happy to take both of them on at the prices.
The Skeltons run Riskintheground, who landed a comfortable success at Ayr last Friday, but he is out of the handicap here and this will take more winning.
The one I like the look of is Tom Lacey’s BLOW YOUR WAD, who was very well backed on his return from a long absence at Kempton in February.
He only ran okay that day but should strip fitter for the outing.
Good ground is important to this lightly raced seven-year-old and he could be well-treated off a mark of 143.
A concern is that his best form is going right-handed on flatter tracks – he won a Grade Two at Kempton last February – but he has also won left-handed, which suggests he should be fine going this way around.
With Lacey in fine form at present, he looks worth chancing at 10/1.
Over at Newmarket, the feature race is the Group Three Craven Stakes (3.35pm), where a field of three-year-old colts will be aiming to throw down a marker for next month’s 2,000 Guineas.
While he has plundered several big races over Jumps this season, Owen is a highly adept operator on the Flat and his stable star WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE could put another feather in his trainer’s cap here.
This son of 2,000 Guineas winner Kameko was highly campaigned last season and landed Group Two honours over this course and distance in the Royal Lodge.
He also ran a fine race behind Hotazhell and Delacroix when last seen in the Group One William Hill Futurity Stakes and that sort of form makes him the one to beat here.
He goes well fresh having won on debut last season and likes softer ground, so there’s every reason to expect him to be right there come the line, and the 3/1 available is a fair price.
POINTERS WEDNESDAY
Ballytechno e/w 2.05pm Cheltenham
Blow Your Wad e/w 2.40pm Cheltenham
Wimbledon Hawkeye 3.35pm Newmarket