Huntingdon – Friday 28th January

If you tried to, it would be very hard to summarize January as a month for our selections, as the constant roller coaster ride had another upward swing yesterday with a great day at Gowran Park. Longhouse Poet was a great winner of the Thyestes, while there were some good runs from Glengouly and Saga Aravis as well. As much as the racing is quite sparse in comparison today, there are a few like-able opportunities to have a bet at Huntingdon, and I have two selections from the card.

The first selection of the day comes in the 2.00 race, which is a handicap hurdle for horses rated 0-120 and is being run over 2m4f. 11 are going to post in this open race and the fact that it is 4/1 the field would indicate the open nature of this race, with plenty in there having a good chance and being plausibly handicapped. Legal Rights comes in here as favorite, which is justified based on his two recent victories, and despite rising into a better quality of race, he is still well down in the weights in this race. However, he has risen a stone in the weights since the start of his two wins and he has only won by snug distances both times. He may well have reached his ceiling on this occasion.  

Instead, a horse who certainly has not reached his ceiling just yet is Let’s Have Another, who I’m surprised is such a big price in this field given his profile going into his first handicap off what must be a lenient mark of 107. He has only ran the three times thus far, and has been right in the mix on all occasions, including one bumper and his first two hurdling runs. There is room for improvement on his jumping going into this handicap debut, but if that holds up – he has to be a well handicapped horse. His form from Leicester, when pushing the exciting Sholokjack very close, took a lucrative form boost yesterday. Let’s Have Another looks one of the most exciting of this bunch of horses and I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t better than his current mark. At a price of 6/1 with SkyBet, who are offering 4 places, he looks a good bet each way. 

The second selection of the day comes in the final race at Huntingdon, which is the 4.10 2m bumper and like always, it would be a nice way to close out the card with a winner in the last. Charlie Longsdon debuts a winning pointer in this clash, but it is very hard to navigate your way around that form and the English pointing scene can sometimes not be the most robust. Hunting Brook for Emma Lavelle looks a more likely type, having ran very nicely on racecourse debut behind Shallow River at Wincanton, when closing all the way to the line in fourth – he should know a lot more this time around. 

However, preference on this occasion goes to the same connections as Let’s Have Another, who saddle Rambo T – who was unlucky not to get his head in-front on debut for these connections when finishing third in a good standard Newbury bumper. Having been outpaced at a crucial stage, Rambo T stuck to the task willingingly and was only denied by a half length in the end, when finishing third in a bunch finish. Given the fact that he had some form in Irish Points, he should be a stayer in the making and despite Huntingdon sometimes favoring speedy types, he looks to have a good chance in this race. I will be hopeful of a double for both Olly Murphy and Aidan Coleman on this occasion. At a price of 11/2 with SkyBet, who offer 4 places – he is another each way bet.