Daryl Carter's Tips: Four more bets at Doncaster and Punchestown

• Saint Roi must go close at Punchestown

• JP McManus could have a good Thursday at Punchestown

• Look to Surrey to strike at Doncaster

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15:40 Punchestown - No bet

I like all three JP horses in this field. I'll probably have something tiny on each, but I found it tough to pick between Holly, our Boodles selection, Nara, and Hands On. I can make a strong case for all three, and as I published, I have seen the money for the Mark Walsh-ridden Nara coming. She was in season in January, and that may explain some below-par runs, but she shaped like one ahead of the handicapper in the Juvenile race at the Festival. I like her claims as I did then.

Still, Holly must be well handicapped off this rating of 123, having chased home Brentford Hope at Haydock last time, with that one boosting the form already this week, finding only Daddy Legs too good. Followers of this column know I have a lot of time for the Jonjo O'Neil horse; I just don't know why you would opt for an inexperienced claimer following the last run - and Jonjo O'Neil Jr is riding today. That's playing with my mind.

Hands On is almost certainly well handicapped on his bare form of two starts, and today's ground is optimal. Simon Torrens gets the leg up, but Mark Walsh prefers Nara. With these colours, when I am undecided, I tend to steer clear, but all three have claims, and I wouldn't consider anything else. Best of luck if you're playing.

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16:15 Punchestown - Back Saint Roi @ 15/28.50 1pt e/w (5 places)

Only three horses can win this race. Blood Destiny, Mighty Tom and Saint Roi and given you're getting much bigger prices about the two outside of the favourite, it's tempting to back both, but I suspect some movement will come in this market.

Saint Roi - 15/28.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - has been tried in handicap company the last twice to no avail but pulled well clear of the field at Aintree with a handicap blot who had the run of the race.

He has proven this rating is within him, and the useful five-pound claimer will only enhance his chances. He has been lined up for a handicap all season, and with a couple of near misses, it's not time to give up on him just yet.

Mighty Tom's connections have probably been working back from this handicap debut and he gets his favoured good ground but how much he has in hand of the handicapper is the question. Four pounds is the answer providing he is as good as he was over hurdles - a sphere in which he was thoroughly exposed. He will go well no doubt.

I've long had a soft spot for Blood Destiny, and more forward tactics will make him very hard to beat against handicappers. However, the selection is also a class act on his day, and I expect him to jump out of today's drying ground much better than he did at Cheltenham.

9/43.25 or bigger is very fair about Blood Destiny, but Saint Roi will surely hit the frame and pick up the pieces if Blood Destiny fails to deliver. Any 6/17.00 or bigger is acceptable.

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18:00 Punchestown - Back Sire Du Berlais @ 7/18.00 0.5pt e/w

Call me crazy, but I do think it could be a JP McManus sort of day, and Sire Du Berlais - 7/18.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - finished ahead of Teahupoo in this race last year, and he is taken to do so again and reverse Cheltenham form. He ran eye-catchingly well at Festival and showed he was ready to strike by steaming home off the gallop.

The 12-year-old has an excellent spring record, as followers of this column well know, but he is a horse that needs his racing to get fit and now feels like the time to back him. Cheltenham should have put him spot on for this, with drying ground giving him another edge over favourite Teahupoo.

Teahupoo followers must be concerned that his best efforts have come away from Punchestown on testing ground and off the back of a break and his entire season was geared around Cheltenham. He remains a creditable favourite but these are not ideal conditions. Home By The Lee could be more trustworthy, and Asterion Forlonge - who was brilliant in last year's race - is considered a bigger threat.

The price on the selection, who will be fully wound up for this contest under Mark Walsh, is very fair at 7/18.00 or bigger and can have one last day in the sun.

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18:15 Doncaster - Back Surrey Force @ 5/23.50 2pt

Away from Punchestown, I am already getting wound up with the flat season, with jockeys finding trouble in running and changing to perplexing tactics. Still, the Surrey team are a terrific syndicate that loves their racing, and I will, for one, be hoping that their Surrey Force - 5/23.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - can get them in the winner's enclosure at the first time of asking in handicap company.

Plenty of the syndicate's horses have improved for handicaps, and this three-year-old looks to have been given a fair opening rating of 64. His three runs on the AW all offered promise, but it looked like he was trained with handicaps in mind.

The booking of Benoit De La Sayette is undoubtedly positive. He has a 21% strike rate for the yard this season. He comes to Doncaster for this, his only ride of the day, as does the trainer, Kevin Philippart De Foy. De Foy has had success at Doncaster in the last five years, finishing first, second, or third with nine of his 16 runners.

I firmly expect improvement from the son of Le Harve, whose progeny tends to enjoy soft ground, and confidence regarding the surface can also be taken from the dam's side. Back him at 2/13.00 or bigger.

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18:35 Punchestown - Back Kilbeg King @ 9/110.00 1pt

Kilbeg King - 9/110.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - may have failed to score in six attempts over fences, but there's little doubt that once crossing the line at Aintree, Connections eyed a repeat bid for this prize back over hurdles.

While the nine-year-old is a Maiden over fences, he has finished inside the first two on four of his five hurdles starts, and the other was an unplaced effort in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle. He is only eight pounds higher than when a dominant winner of this contest last year and the runner-up has won at this meeting over fences on Wednesday.

There's good reason to think that Sam Twiston Davies hasn't had a wasted boat journey with the ground riding on the quick side and his mount offering a record of 311 on a sounder surface with the third coming behind Il Est Francias in the Grade 1 Kauto Star.

He has more to offer in this sphere and is well worth keeping on side today at near double-digit odds.

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18:35 Punchestown - Back Chantry House @ 22/123.00 0.5pt

Chantry House - 22/123.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - is quickly become a cliff horse for many more than myself this season. It may be worth giving him one last chance here. He wasn't ridden to full effect at Aintree, given one tap with the stick before being ridden under hand and heels as the owner mate, Johnnywho, went in search of victory. Today, he is reunited with Nico De Boinville on a sounder surface.

Interestingly, the ten-year-old journeys over the Irish Sea and is now off a mark in the 130s. For most of the season, he has been ridden with a view to a big handicap, and it may be that the ground went against him at Cheltenham, and I don't think they are giving up just yet.

It doesn't take a wonder mind to work out that on a going day, he is superbly handicapped on all known form, and if there is one last big pot in him, it could be today. I promise I will leave well alone should he fall out of the back of the TV, but let's have one last saver at a big price.

Back him at 20/121.00 or bigger.

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Now Read: Today's Horse Racing Tips: Brendan Duke's three bets for Punchestown on Day 3

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