Bets of the Day: Back the Bridge on just his third start over fences

Alan Thompson
16 January 2020

Ballinslea Bridge has plenty more to offer on just his third start over fences

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There was a welcome winner for Alan yesterday at Wolverhampton, and he has two more to follow at Market Rasen and Newcastle...

"A winning pointer and a dual winner over hurdles, on testing ground, he is more than capable of further improvement..."

Back Ballinslea Bridge at 11/4 in the 14:10 Market Rasen

Ballinslea Bridge has plenty more to offer...

14:10 Market Rasen - Ballinslea Bridge

Gary Moore's eight-year-old Ballinslea Bridge has only run twice for the yard and the first of those was his chasing debut after a 655 day break, his latest run though was very encouraging. After that huge absence he shaped much better on his second start over fences two weeks ago, he finished a clear second behind the favourite at Exeter in similar conditions to what he will be facing today.

He has run twice at the course finishing second and winning on his latest visit in Jan 2018, the horse is an incredibly consistent performer. In his last nine starts, apart from the run after a 655 day break, he hasn't finished outside the first two. For any in-running players he has to count as a back-to-lay selection, from his eight starts he has traded at 50% of his Betfair Starting Price (BSP) in seven of them, the only time he hasn't hit that mark was again his run after the long lay off.

As a winning pointer and a dual winner over hurdles, one of which was here on testing ground, he is more than capable of further improvement in this sphere and he certainly has the ability to win a race like this.

Canford Bay can do it from the front

17:30 Newcastle - Canford Bay

Canford Bay looks to be sitting on a winnable mark at Newcastle, he went close off a pound higher at Wolverhampton two starts ago in this grade and can run a big race at a venue where he's a course and distance winner. He generally likes to make all from the front and wasn't able to obtain that position at Wolverhampton last time, but he still ran well. Back in a small field, he will get to dictate the pace ahead of Foxy Forever, and if he does then I think he is going to be difficult to pass.

The favourite is Stuart Williams' Commander Han and I am keen to take him on, he has only won once in his 22 starts and that was over seven furlongs. The five-year-old has had a run over the minimum trip and he finished a creditable second here, in a race where he was held up early and then tried to catch them in the final furlong.

Te tactics almost paid off as he only failed by three quarters of a length, but that was also off a mark 2lbs lighter than he is running off tonight. I have no doubt he will be charging home at the finish but that could again be too late to get his head in front where it matters.