Hereford Racing Tips

First time cheekpieces certainly looked to eek out some improvement of Kerry Lee’s maiden last time and surely he won’t have to wait too long before getting off the mark. He possibly paid last time out for going a bit too hard early on, but if he’s able to settle better here and can get into a good rhythm, he looks weighted to go well. He finished a close up second off 2lb lower and if handling the ground (he won a point-to-point on good to soft) could well be the each-way play in this race.

Wise Glory was rated 84 on the Flat and thrown in at the deep end on his hurdles debut. He travelled well enough but hit a bit of a flat spot on his way round before fading badly before three out. He was reported to have a breathing problem after the race and given the fact that his connections thought enough of him to throw him in black-type company on debut, he has to be respected here. You’d have to imagine he’ll appreciate the return to better ground and we could see an improved horse here in what looks like a winnable race.

It could be worth having an each-way go on Venetia Williams’ charge here. She was going better than most here last time out before simply not jumping the 13th and taking a crashing fall. She reverts to hurdles after that performance, which may just see her regain her confidence. Contesting this race off a career-low mark of 112, it will be interesting to see how she handles the ground, with her only two previous wins coming heavy. Nine of her handler’s runners at Hereford this year have finished in the top three.

With form figures of 23232, it’s fair to say Pottlereaghexpress has been frustrating to follow this year. Two of those second place finishes came at this track, and he’s been unlucky to bump into a couple of well-handicapped rivals along the way. He was stepped up in trip over course and distance last time out and stayed on well, but the winner showed a little more grit on the run for the line. This looks like a more winnable contest, and a similar performance could see him get his head in front. The talented James Bowen takes the ride for the first time.