Bets of the Day: Midnight Tune can hit the right notes today

Midnight Tune can make all over three miles

14:25 Uttoxeter - Midnight Tune

Anthony Honeyball has elected to run Midnight Tune in the 14:25 at Uttoxeter this week instead of the Cheltenham Festival. The nine-year-old mare was entered in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and I was keen on her each-way at a big price for that race at the five day stage so the fact she turns up here suggests the stable thinks she has a major chance in what is a lesser race. She carried a big weight last time at Warwick and won easier than the bare margin at the finish suggested. She likes to run from the front so there'll be no hiding place, especially when there are a couple of others in here who like to make the pace too.

That said she can make the pace on heavy ground and seemingly not stop, whereas that may not be the case for other prominent runners. Her record on heavy ground reads four wins from six runs on the surface, while she's one win and a place from three runs at Uttoxeter. Throw in the fact that she seemingly goes well at this time of year and the stable have been going well this season then there's plenty to make me think that she's overpriced and takes the beating here. The market would suggest Sam's Adventure is a danger but he's yet to win at three miles, although he does go well on heavy ground, while Musical Slave is another towards the head of the market who has yet to show ability to stay this trip.

Main Fact should appreciate this step up in trip

15:00 Uttoxeter - Main Fact

In the following race at Uttoxeter (15:00) David Pipe's seven-year-old Main Fact looks as though he'll really appreciate the step-up to this two-and-a-half mile trip. He won really well at Wetherby over two miles on heavy ground last time out and was going away at the finish in such a strong manner that it's no wonder they decided to run him here. His record on heavy ground reads three wins from four starts while he has won on his only start at the track. The Pipe stable has been bubbling under a bit all season but they're in a good run of form of late.

He was really fancied for the Imperial Cup which was lost when Sandown succumbed to the heavy rain last weekend and he faces a few others who were also entered there, too, including Dostal Phil. The Phillip Hobbs runner has a really nice profile but the stable's runners went so poorly at Cheltenham that it would be enough to put me off backing him. The main danger could well be Faire Part Sivola who ran a race full of promise last time out. That came at Kempton in a hot Grade 2 novice event and once it became apparent he couldn't win he was well looked after to the point that I was thinking that he could well go under the radar in a nice handicap. The thing with him is that I couldn't be totally sure he'd stay this trip on this ground.

I'm firmly of the opinion that Main Fact is going to take another major step forward, although Faire Part Sivola is definitely worthy of a small saver. It wouldn't surprise me were Main Fact to start a lot shorter than his current price and so I'd suggest taking the price now.