Fairyhouse – Wednesday 9th February

It was a great way to start the week yesterday with a successful raid to both Taunton and Market Rasen. I hope some people cashed in and backed the 6/1 and 8/1 winners. However, there is no time to rest on our laurels and there is a cracking midweek card at Fairyhouse to delve deep into. With some of the fan favorites of this page back out in action today, it would be remiss of me not to have a few selections to go to war with. 

Starting in the 1.15 race, which is a 2m5f handicap chase and it will be of no surprise to anyone to see me renewing the faith in John Adams, who got off the mark over fences last time out under today’s rider, Ross Berry. He gave him a cracking ride from the front, to win cozily from Exit to the West, who he opposes again today. That was over 2m7f and there might be a small concern in dropping back down in trip, as all he seems to do is stay – but if getting loose on the front end, he will be very hard to catch. Some may question his jumping, as there are a fair amount of letters beside his name, but fundamentally he is a very good jumper. If getting into that rhythm he showed last time out under this rider, I can’t see him out of the first three. At a price of 7/1 with SkyBet, who are offering 5 places – he should be backed each way.

The 1.45 race is a 2m7f rated novice chase and this is just as intriguing a race. I am fascinated to see how Discorama can run in this race having undergone another wind operation. He should be using this as a prep for the National, so I’d be more than happy to wait and see how he performs, but I will be wishing connections the best of luck. Instead, it is one last chance saloon on Opposites Attract for me, who has slightly lost his way this season having looked like a very promising novice last year. He has pulled up on both occasions, however there have been excuses for both starts and this looks more like his optimum conditions. At a price of 12/1 with Paddy Power, who are offering the standard 3 places – he is another each way bet. 

The final selection comes in the final race of the day, which is the 4.15 race and is a handicap hurdle over 2m4f for horses rated 80-109. This looks as tricky as one could expect for a race of this nature, and I am going to be taking a chance on an unexposed horse out of the red hot Tony Martin stable. That horse is Rebellious Gale, who has run in his three maiden hurdles and now makes the jump up in trip for his handicap debut. His maiden hurdle efforts were certainly full of some promise and it is very hard to get away from the superb form his stable has been in recent weeks. Good Time Jonny won for us last weekend and that has contributed to Martin operating at 60% in the last fortnight – so this horse is coming from the right source. A mark of 97 does not seem to overface this horse, and at a price of 14/1 with Paddy Power, who offer 5 places, he has to have an each way chance.