Dermot Weld Looks for Gold in Balmoral
Storm Babet has relented thankfully. The positive is all this rain will speed up the return of the top class winter jumpers.
Cheltenham returns with their Showcase meeting next Friday so it’s that time of the year when we start to switch over to the jumps from the flat turf.
First up however is British Champions Day! We target the Balmoral Handicap which is the last race on an excellent card.
Dermot Weld runs Coeur D’Or who has enjoyed a good season already. He won the premier mile handicap at the Galway Festival. That race was run over an extended mile on yielding to soft ground so we know he stays a truly run stiff mile no problem. Coeur D’or showed his versatility with another big win at the Curragh in late August, landing the Irish Cambridgeshire.
The handicapper raised him 3lbs to a mark of 100 which looks fine. He found 10 furlongs at the curragh stretching his stamina too far last time out so we can ignore that run. The rain softened ground and stiff mile trip at Ascot on the straight course looks ideal conditions for this son of Dubawi with Chris Hayes riding.
Bopedro has found his best form since August when winning over a mile at Newmarket. He seems ground versatile and got no run when meeting traffic in the Sovereign path premier handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend. Last time out in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket he finished off his race well to claim third spot beating a length by Astro King.
Bopedro is showing good form in competitive handicaps and remains fairly treated on a handicap mark of 102. He stays a mile well so the stiff Ascot mile and more so on soft ground will help bring his proven stamina into play. Danny Tudhope has chosen to ride Bopedro for handicap king David O’Meara. I like that he is drawn low as there seems to be more pace amongst those drawn low than high.
Ascot 4:25
0.5 point each way Coeur D’Or 14/1 Paddy Power & William Hill, both 5 places.
0.5 point each way Bopedro 16/1 Bet365 5 places else 14/1 Skybet 6 places.
Past Results
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