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Three Tuesday bets
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Two last-time beaten NAPs worth following through with
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Handicap hurdle debutant looks well treated at Huntingdon
William Haggas' Wiesaam - 5/23.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - took a big step forward for the fitting of the blinkers when well fancied in this column 21 days ago on his handicap debut and he should relish the move back to six furlongs and today's testing conditions.
He certainly has more to offer on the latest evidence, where I felt that if his rider had been firmer at a crucial stage, he would have scored.
The son of Kodiac is bred to be better than this level, and I want to follow up on this selection (something I should have done with Urban Sprawl on Monday).
Stall ten should prove no issue, and everything looks in place with Tom Marquand in the saddle to improve again. Emporess is a big threat following a good victory at Bath, but it wasn't much of a race. Still, it's worth paying attention when Rod Millman teams up with Oisin Murphy.
Of the rest, Love Games can make a good showing. The selection is at the basement price of 5/23.50, and I expect him to go off around 2/13.00.
13:53 Leicester - Back Wiesaam
This is a much deeper race than the one Ballintubber Boy won last year, but expect him to be ready for his life to defend his crown at a track he goes well at. Still, he has had enough chances to prove better than this grade, but he has failed to kick on.
This like ripe for an unexposed horse, and Fortified Fortune - 5/16.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - left the firm impression he has plenty more to offer yet when quickly landing a run-of-the-mill Novice Hurdle over 2m at Newton Abbot last year and that is to his credit as he left the impression at Warwick with a running-on second to a useful Nicky Henderson point winner that he will be seen to best effect when his stamina is drawn out.
He was runner-up in a point-to-point behind Willie Mullins' Cantico and ahead of the useful 131-rated Personal Ambition, and connections did start him out over 3m at Ludlow. He now makes his handicap debut with a rating of 109, which could prove very lenient based on that point form and his two runs over hurdles to date, should he have even an ounce of improvement at this 3m distance.
He gets the vote to care for mainly exposed rivals at 4/15.00 or bigger.
16:00 Huntingdon - Back Fortified Fortune
This ground may not be optimal for Galyx - 5/16.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - but the weight of support for him at Newbury when a NAP for this column last time is tough to ignore.
I have little doubt that he is a well-handicapped horse with a rating of 82, and in today's conditions, receiving weight all around is no negative. George Bass claims a further three off his back, and he is 15 lb better off with Aviemore for their meeting at Carlisle in May.
He is progressive, and there is undoubtedly more to come from him. This is a tough ask. Admittedly, he is up in grade from a Newbury defeat, but he is entitled to strip fitter, considering that was his first run for four months. None of the other three-year-olds are well treated, and Stressfree was the benefactor of a pace collapse at Chester last time but is the biggest danger ahead of Kotari.
16:25 Leicester - Back Galyx