Ascot and Haydock - 23rd Nov

The Betfair Chase today at Haydock is just such a mouth watering prospect. It has everything, Gold Cup horses, exciting second season chasers, a top class sort stepping up in trip and a diva turned reformed character. There isn't an angle on the race for a bet but it truly is a contest to savour.

Now, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The Amlin Chase at Ascot only has two runners now Captain Chris is a non runner and I think there are multiple reasons for this. First of all race planning - we have too many races between 2 and 3 miles this time of year. The likes of Cue Card, Dynaste, Captain Conan, Kid Cassidy, Sire de Grugy, Oscar's Well, Finian's Rainbow, Champion Court, William's Wishes, Module could all have been at Ascot today but are absent either because other races are more tempting (I can understand the first two named going for the Betfair but Finian's Rainbow and Champion Court could have bypassed the Paddy Power for this contest today) or because some trainer's are just clueless with regards to race planning. Why Module and William's Wishes aren't in this I really don't know.

Onto betting. I mentioned my excitement at the reappearance of Clondaw Kaempfer yesterday and my hope that he'd be a backable price in the 1.50 at Haydock and thankfully he is. I've lumped on at 9/2.
He's an horse that first caught my eye when winning a novice hurdle at Aintree at the Old Roan meeting at Aintree last year. He was most impressive on deep ground that day and ran to a similar level next time out at Haydock. What struck me about him was his action, he had a way of galloping that suggested he'd be even better down the line on a decent surface and so I backed him for the Neptune at the Festival. Unfortunately he got injured at Newbury in the Challow which was run on heavy ground but is off 136 today and looks very well in. The ground is being advertised as soft but times yesterday suggest that might not be the case. I'd like him to go novice chasing after today as I have taken over 100/1 about him for the RSA.

My other punt is on Zarkandar in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot. I managed to get 2/1 matched on the machine this morning having already backed him at 7/4 and I think there is scope for a back to partial lay here with it being such a small field. Everyone keeps going on about Annie Power and her potential but Zarkandar is unexposed over further than two miles and I think he has improvement in him. And of course his form from Aintree with The New One looks incredibly solid now. He goes well fresh and aside from two disappointing runs in the Champion Hurdle he is incredibly hard to beat. It goes without saying that he is much much the best horse Annie Power has ever face and although she gets 11lb off him seven of those are her sex allowance.

Sportsbook Handicap Hurdle:
Clondaw Kaempfer £60w @ 9/2 (lost)

Coral Hurdle:
Zarkandar £90w @ 193/100 (IR lay placed at 6/4 for £30) (lost)

(-92.5)