Flat Action Still To Be Resolved In England

There’s a few unbackable runners in Ireland this weekend but plenty of treats for racing fans on both sides of the Irish Sea with Footpad likely to be the headline act over the coming days.

There is still some Flat action to resolve in England as well and there’s Irish interest too.

Fruitful journey for Weld

Heading to Doncaster for a listed race today doesn’t quite compare with some of the global missions that Dermot Weld has undertook in the past but the master of Rosewell House could have found a good opportunity for Bona Fide to win at listed level.

The Gowran Park maiden winner went back to the Kilkenny track last month to win a handicap and now steps up in grade to face 13 rivals in a listed race at Doncaster.

Only Anasheed has less experience than the Weld runner but the slight step up in trip could be a bonus for the filly who has a bit to find on official ratings but is open to enough progression to bridge the gap.

The daughter of Frankel was priced up around about 9/2 last night and she’s worth siding with as Weld enjoyed a decent end to the season in Ireland and has to be respected when making a trip like this. Bona Fide looked like a filly who would appreciate further when grinding out success last time and she ticks a lot of boxes.

Henderson has a good Dream

The Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton looks a competitive race albeit probably lacking a proper Champion Hurdle contender that it once attracted.

That said, If The Cap Fits could hardly have done much more in his career and it’ll be interesting to see how he returns after missing the second half of last season. We Have A Dream missed the Triumph Hurdle last season but made up for that Aintree by bolting up in Grade 1 company.

We Have A Dream, running in the same colours as Footpad, could make it a very good day for the owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede as he is expected to continue his winning ways for Nicky Henderson.

The first season outside of juvenile ranks is often a tricky one for trainers to plot a path and We Have A Dream has to concede weight to older rivals today which isn’t ideal, but if connections did have a Champion Hurdle dream when naming the horse, that dream might still be alive this evening.

Serpent a fine servant

Edward O’Grady has had a tough year off the track and while of little consolation to the trainer, his team of horses have been running well of late. O’Grady has admitted he is short on stock for the winter months but Slippery Serpent can win again for the Tipperary handler.

The Brown Lad Hurdle carries a €50,000 pot and the seven-year-old, who runs in honour of O’Grady’s late wife Maria, won nicely at Punchestown last month and should be up to defying a 6lbs hike for that.

Slippery Serpent still has a lovely racing weight of just 10st4lbs and with a bit of luck in running the consistent sort should be hard to beat again as the rain won’t inconvenience him.

Recommended Bets
Bona Fide 6/1 – 1.30 Doncaster
We Have A Dream 5/2 – 3.00 Wincanton

*Prices correct at time of publication