Betting Strategy / Rory Delargy / 12 July 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

It's been a quiet couple of weeks on the summer jumping front, with quantity running out a comfortable winner over quality, but Saturday sees one of the highlights of the season when Market Rasen hosts a card featuring the totescoop6 Summer Hurdle and the totesport.com Summer Plate. Rory Delargy has been poring over the entries.

"Russian George would have beaten Heron Bay on his hurdling debut with a better round of jumping and hopefully he will have learnt enough on that score when off the mark at Uttoxeter to take this stronger contest, one which his stable took exactly 10 years ago with Coxwell Cossack. "

14:00 - totescoop6 Summer Hurdle

Hopefully, one of our horses to follow, Conquisto, will take his chance here and he'll get in with just over 11 stone should prospective topweight Inventor stand his ground. Conquisto will be perfectly served by this test and I wouldn't swap him for anything despite the competitive nature of the contest. One worry is that he might get involved in a battle up front with Paul Webber's Australia Day, although the prospect of these two slugging it out for a circuit and a half of Market Rasen does rather whet the appetite!

14:35 - toteexacta flexibetting Juvenile Hurdle

Beyond would be a hot favourite were he to run after bolting up in two juvenile events to date in the colours of Robin Geffen, while it's interesting to note that Ben Haslam has an entry in the shape of Dance For Julie. Ben's father Pat won this 3 times in recent seasons and the filly shouldn't be ignored if she takes up her entry.

15:05 totetrifecta flexibetting Handicap Hurdle

Several of the contenders for the feature handicap hurdle are also entered here and it's guesswork as to who will turn up, although the way Lawney Hills' To Arms won at Southwell on Sunday suggested that he's a horse to follow in the short term and he would be a tentative choice at this stage. One of our horses to avoid is entered here in the shape of Heron Bay and he certainly isn't one to back given how easily he was turned over last time.

15:35 totesport Summer Plate

Alan King faces a headache in the coming season as to how he deals with the enforced absence of stable jockey Robert Thornton, such a large part of the Barbury Castle trainer's success in recent seasons. One horse he doesn't have to worry about on that front, though, is King Of Troy who King bought from Irish trainer Pat Doyle with the proviso that Doyle's son Jack should keep the ride, and it was on the horse that Doyle junior rode out his claim. He won't find this easy off top weight but comes here in good order, unlike the Jonjo O'Neill duo Nostringsattached and Keepitsecret who provided such a thrilling finish to the 2009 renewal, but have both run miserable races in their respective preps this time around. Silver Adonis has retained his form since winning the Aintree Foxhunters and, while a tricky ride, is capable of making the frame at a decent price.

16:10 B Eyre & Son Ltd Ford Novices' Hurdle

Hopefully for me, local trainer Steve Gollings will be on to a double here after Conquisto wins the opener and he can take this race courtesy of Russian George who also colours the colours of Phil Martin. Russian George would have beaten Heron Bay on his hurdling debut with a better round of jumping and hopefully he will have learnt enough on that score when off the mark at Uttoxeter to take this stronger contest, one which his stable took exactly 10 years ago with Coxwell Cossack.

16:45 Geoffrey Mollie Booth Novices' Handicap Chase

Mutual Respect hasn't always looked the most stout-hearted but is in good form at the moment and seemed to improve in winning at Southwell on Sunday. He would be of some interest, but arguably the most fascinating runner in this line-up is the Martin Keighley trained Deep Reflection who ran his best race last season at this track. That was over hurdles and his two tries over fences for Ben Case ended ignominiously, but his current yard wouldn't risk him again if it wasn't deemed worth the effort.

Tags: Conquisto, King Troy, Rory Delargy, Russian George, Steve Gollings., Summer Plate