Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter

The Haldon Gold Cup, a handicap chase over 2 miles 1 furlong at Exeter at 5.50 CET, is easily the best race of the day and in fact the best race of the year at this track. Cue Card (Colin and Joe Tizzard) was hot favourite to win this last year and duly obliged by 26 lengths; he has a good chance of following up despite a 15 lbs rise in the weights.as he has since won the Ryanair Chase and been a good runner-up to Sprinter Sacre at Aintree last time.

However he has to concede 15 lbs and more to some decent chasers, so it is no walkover. William´s Wishes (Evanm Williams/ Paul Moloney) is an obvious danger, being unbeaten in 5 chases, but he has never races against opponents of this calibre, and we prefer Somersby (Mick Channon/ Dominic Elsworth), a big threat on his old form, and Kumbeshwar (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson), who could be well handicapped. Tony McCoy does not have ride in this race, but he has 3 mounts on the card and now needs only 2 more winners to reach 4,000. We expect him to win the opener on Jonjo O´Neill´s Flemenson at 14.50, so there will be a huge amount on interest in his other two mounts - Keen Eye at 15.20 and Well Hello There at 16.50, although their chances are less obvious. In the former race we might risk a tiny each-way bet on Attimo (Charlie Mann/ Noel Fehily), making his hurdling debut:; he is a half-brother to the top German stayer Altano. Two more German-breds riunning here are Dark Lover (Paul Nicholls/ Nick Scholfield) and Lord of House (Mann/ Fehily) who clash in the novice chase at 16.20 and could well have the finish to themselves.

With Redcar abandoned, the only flat racing today is on the all-weather at Southwell this afternoon and Kempton this evening. The best betting race at the former track is the 7 furlongs handicap at 14.40. In thgeory, top-seight PIceno (Scott Dixon/ Tim Clark) should win this, as he probably beat better opposition when making all under this apprentice at Newmarket last Saturday, but different rules apply on the a.w. and we prefer bottom-weight Speronella (Hughie Morrison/ John Fahy) and the trainer can follow up with Cosimo de Medici (George Baker) in the 2 mile handicap at 17.10. At Kempton, consistent Secret Beau (David Evans/ Tom Queally) can finally get his head in front in the 7 furlongs handicap at 20.00. He has been runner-up on all his 4 starts at this track, and althogh he keeps creeping up the weights wihout the winning, it could be his turn this evening.