Pete's Paddock Picks
The service has shown promise in its first few days of testing with 5 wins from 6 selections and has been around since 2022. Brilliantly titled Petes Paddock Picks:
December 2024 ended: +£44.78
Year 2024 finished: +£364.90
Year 2023 finished: +£469.27
Results to £1 stakes
1:25pm Newbury - Jurancon (Nap)
French raider Kloth Of Utopia will appreciate the return to a left-hand track having jumped consistently out to his left when beaten 8l at Ascot over 2m 5f+ on his British debut. He
had previously scored at Auteuil on heavy ground for Noel George in the JP McManus colours (2m 2f) and is a fascinating contender.
Regular readers will know that I am a big admirer of JURANCON (Nap) and David Pipe had the foresight to declare his six-year-old for today despite being engaged at Plumpton over an additional half mile. Note he was not entered in the Betfair Hurdle with the entries announced yesterday.
This is a
better race than the one at Plumpton, where he was backed from 10/11 to 8/13 overnight, but he receives 4lbs from the Gallic raider and gets the nod. One thing I failed to mention yesterday was the form of the David Pipe yard who have hit the buffers somewhat after a good first half of the season.
The stable have not had a winner from their last fourteen runners and half of their eight representatives in the last fortnight have pulled up. This is a big day for the
stable with Lady Balko running in the feature listed chase on the card. Pipe fits Jurancon with a tongue-tie for the first time this afternoon.
Recommendation: Jurancon (Nap) - 11/10
2:25pm Newbury - New Order & Sound And Fury
Jasmin De Grugy has won his last four starts over fences but has been raised 38lbs for those victories which have all come over
two-and-a-half miles on good or good to soft ground.He returns from a seven-week break this afternoon and the combination of soft ground and the step up to three miles may make this too stiff a test of stamina.
A market move for House Of Stories would be significant on his belated seasonal reappearance and chase debut. The Rebecca Curtis trained nine-year-old ran a terrific race first time out last season returning from a 900-day absence and the
booking of Sean Bowen catches the eye for a yard that have kept their form this season.
Rather than back one each way, I am going to back a couple win only although there are no prices at the time of writing.
I was impressed with NEW ORDER at Warwick last time when I was concerned about his ability to cope with ground officially described as good to soft, but the winning time (slow by 40 secs) suggested it was nearly soft. He
has been raised 9lbs for that success and Charlie Longsdon’s string have gone off the boil of late, but he remains potentially well treated having had wind surgery prior to that win in the midlands last month.
SOUND AND FURY took advantage of the last fence blunder of Here Comes McCoy at Uttoxeter last time to score on soft ground and his 5lbs rise is more than negated by the 7lbs that Callum Pritchard takes off this afternoon. Note Ben Pauling’s
stable jockey Ben Jones goes to Hereford for a couple of rides.
Recommendations: New Order - 5/1 & Sound And Fury - 11/4
1:45pm Hereford - Golden De Couer
The Good Doctor ran a terrific race at Newbury when just going down to a well handicapped Venetia Williams horse (The Famous Five) over the Festive period and a 1lbs rise is fair. That was over the minimum distance, however, and
he will have his stamina stretched this afternoon.
He did win over an extended 2m 1f at Fontwell over hurdles, but he is likely to be a short-price, and he is overlooked.
There are no such stamina worries for Moodofthemoment who did us a favour when scoring over course and distance back in November in a race that is working out very well. He has been raised 8lbs for his latest fluent Ludlow success, however, and this looks a
much stronger race. The handicapper may have just got his measure.
The vote goes to GOLDEN DE COEUR who looked in need of his seasonal reappearance at Windsor last month and has been dropped 3lbs as a result. A dual point winner the selection did hang left at Stratford on ground faster than ideal on his chase debut, but he has bits of form over hurdles which suggest he could be very well handicapped.
He jumped and travelled
well for a long way at Windsor although his was weakening when a mistake four out put paid to any chance he had. James Bowen keeps the ride for Warren Greatrex, and he gets a narrow vote.
Recommendation: Golden De Coeur - 13/2
