Placepot Pointers

Saturday’s £150,000k Tote Placepot guaranteed pool comes from Kempton where an excellent card includes three Grade 2 contests and the 13-runner Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase.

1.15

Early pace has been a key ingredient to success in this 2m5f Class 3 handicap hurdle, with eight of the last ten winners making the running or racing prominently (hold-up horses were just two from 65). SP favourites have fared well in recent years, with four winners from ten runners for a profit of £9.50 to a £1 level stake (three of the six beaten favourites were placed). STONER’S CHOICE is unlikely to be at the head of the betting, but the Fergal O’Brien-trained veteran looks the likeliest front-runner in this 12-runner line-up, and he did remarkably well to finish second over course and distance in November after getting into a three-way battle for the early lead. He disappointed at Ascot last month but that was in Class 2 company and the return to this venue – where his full record reads 35112 (2-5) – is a positive. MALAITA didn’t see out the 3m1f trip when third at Huntingdon last month and usually runs well at this time of year, recording form figures in the February to April period of 32311211 (4-8). PUNCTUATION was weak in the betting prior to last month’s fourth at Doncaster on his belated seasonal debut. The eight-year-old was also making his debut for Nicky Henderson that day and could have improvement to come.
4 Punctuation
5 Stoner’s Choice
11 Malaita

1.50

Paul Nicholls has won with 12 of his last 20 runners in the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase (+£14.28 to a £1 level stake at SP) and siding with his horses would have seen us safely negotiate this leg of the Placepot in eight of the past ten years. RUBAUD, a three-time course winner over hurdles, needs to prove his stamina for the extended 2m4f trip but his Kingmaker second to L’Eaud Du Sud suggested that he was worth a crack over a longer distance and he’s going to be hard to keep out of the first two. The ground is the key to BOOMBAWN and the officially good to soft conditions were too slow for him when only fifth to The Jukebox Man in Grade 2 company at Newbury in last November. Rested since, today’s race was mooted as the target after his Grade 2 Wincanton victory over Soul Icon (winner since) and he should go well if the rain stays away.
2 Boombawn
6 Rubaud

2.25

MONDO MAN, a Group performer on the Flat, pulled hard on his hurdles/stable debut at Ascot last month but still managed to chase home Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba. With the Nicky Henderson runner on the missing list today, he’s likely to prove hard to beat. Banker.
5 Mondo Man

3.00

There’s plenty of early pace on offer in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle and that could help to set the race up for hold-up performer TRIPOLI FLYER, who is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles on sharp right-handed tracks. Fergal O’Brien’s six-year-old raced keenly when scoring by 11 lengths at Musselburgh last time, a win that took his full record since his racecourse debut to 12211 (3-5). CELTIC DINO hated the soft going when fourth in the Tolworth at Aintree on Boxing Day and can resume his progression on this better ground for last year’s winning yard.
2 Celtic Dino
3 Tripoli Flyer

3.35

Ten-year-old OUR POWER took this race in 2023 and was also placed in the 2022 renewal. The return to a right-handed track will suit and he can make the frame despite being older than recent winners. HELTENHAM, who came good at this time last year, will appreciate the right-handed track and also gets a Placepot vote.
3 Our Power
6 Heltenham

4.10

IDEAL DES BORDES finished miles clear of the third when a one-length runner-up to the progressive Eyed over 3m here last time and now has form figures of 112 (2-3) since undergoing wind surgery. The drop in trip is a slight concern but the likely strong gallop could compensate. BLOW YOUR WAD has been off the track since finishing last of five in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree last April but he’s unbeaten in three starts at this venue and has finished second on his three previous seasonal debuts.
1 Blow Your Wad
7 Ideal Des Bordes