Taunton Placepot: Tuesday January 31

Daily Placepots / Phil Thompson / 31 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Today's Placepot action comes from Taunton

"We will also take Aather who is looking increasingly well-handicapped and ran well enough on his reappearance at Cheltenham (still close up two out) to suggest he is well capable of being involved here..."

Phil Thompson has a crack at the Taunton Placepot...

13:40 - Now, a 16-runner Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle is not normally a situation in which I would encourage a banker, but it will be extremely disappointing if That's Some Milan cannot make the frame here. A former point-winner, the selection should be suited by the step up to three miles today and is open to further improvement on his handicap debut.

14:10 - Next up is the novice hurdle and Dildar, who showed fair form on the Flat in France, is likely to go off a short-priced favourite here but he must be included given his connections and the fact he receives weight all round. This is Dildar's hurdling debut, however, so we will also side with Constant Contact who shaped well in a very strong event at Newbury last month and is entitled to improve for that experience.

14:40 - Sanctuaire is set to go off a red-hot favourite here and he was clearly the best of these over hurdles. He is far from straightforward, however, so we will take both Easter Meteor and Shammick Boy who have both won over fences this season and look the most likely to prevail should the favourite's temperament let him down.

15:10 - A competitive handicap hurdle follows and we will look to side with two. Ted Spread respresents the combination of Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh and looks set for a bold show on his handicap debut after chasing home Grumeti here last month. We will also take Aather who is looking increasingly well-handicapped and ran well enough on his reappearance at Cheltenham (still close up two out) to suggest he is well capable of being involved here.

15:40 - Another handicap hurdle and we will bank on the Venetia Williams-trained Val Mondo who will hopefully be able to transfer the ability he showed on the Flat in Germany to hurdles. He represents banker material in the fifth.

16:10 - Having got this far, it would be folly to take a gamble in the last so we side with two once again. Wessex King, who won a similar event at Stratford on his penultimate start, will be given another chance after disappointing last time. Humbel Ben comes with risks attached given his below-par effort at Exeter last time but, prior to that, he had shaped as if ahead of his current handicap mark and this race could be run to suit.

Selections:

13:40 - 6
14:10 - 4, 14
14:40 - 1, 2
15:10 - 5, 7
15:40 - 8
16:10 - 6, 10

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