Daily Dogs Bet: Blade to be too sharp for Nottingham rivals!

/ Ed Nicholson / 21 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Ed Nicholson looks at the best bets on today's BAGS cards.

Bandicott Tipoki, a winning selection for this column earlier in the week, is opposed today in the final of the Ladbroke Gold Cup at 4.57pm.

The Monmore race is live on BAGS and is one of the best races of the entire year to be screened live in the shops. As you would expect for a £10,000 prize, the whole competition attracted some very decent hounds, and all six dogs in the final have one chance or another in my mind. Charlie Lister's Bandicott Tipoki would have to be the best of the sextet....but it doesn't necessarily mean he will win today's race!

Bandicott Tipoki has drawn trap five, in between a couple of decent starters, and if he was to mistime his start, I can foresee trouble looming at the first bend. As we have seen in the last two weeks, outside traps have not fared well in this competition; not one has made the final, and with a railer in six, there's every chance that one or two dogs will simply not be able to run their races.

As such there is a huge opportunity for an upset here and it wouldn't surprise me if we saw a big priced winner of this race this afternoon. So, the best policy may be to lay Bandicott Tipoki at around [2.04] - not because we think he isn't the best dog in the race - but simply because he may get a rough race from a trap he has never raced in.

Over at Nottingham tonight, one of my favourite dogs currently running BAGS races looks to have been given a decent chance in the 7.52. Swift Blade (trap six) is a strong finishing type who needs every yard of Colwick Park's demanding 500 metre circuit. He is usually a little adrift at the first two turns, but comes wide and late in the home straight. If able to turn the first corner unscathed, Swift Blade can manoeuvre into position down the back straight, before unleashing his power packed grandstand finish up the straight. He should not be opposed at anything over [3.5] tonight.

Finally, Ardbeg Joey is fancied to make another winning A3 appearance at Hove. The July 2006 whelp has won 4 from 7 such contests at the South coast track, looks likely to lead from trap six and can stay on to be the rest. He should be backed at odds of [4.0] or greater.