Two good jumps cards take centre stage in Britain on Sunday afternoon and Racing Post tipster Dave Randall outlines his best bets from the Sunday action.
2.45 Uttoxeter - Pembroke @ 7/2
4.15 Uttoxeter - Bubble Dubi @ 7/2
4.15 Uttoxeter - Only Money @ 6/4
All odds are correct at time of writing and subject to change.
A select field of three runners goes to post for the Class 3 2m Novices' Chase at Uttoxeter (2.45).
The three runners are all aged six and represent the Olly Murphy, Nigel Twiston-Davies and Dan Skelton yards.
They are all rated 130+ over hurdles and are making their debuts over regulation fences.
Olly Murphy's Chasing Fire is rated 132 and won his sole Irish point. I Like To Move It represents Nigel Twiston-Davies and is rated 154. Dan Skelton's Pembroke is rated 135 and finished runner-up and fell at the last when in the same position in his two Irish points.
They are returning from breaks of between 172 and 178 days. All three have won when fresh but I Like To Move It has a consistent edge on that score.
None of the three have ever raced at Uttoxeter.
The ratings insist that I Like To Move It will go off a short-priced favourite and, with the ground likely to dry out, he may prove hard to catch from the front, but his two less-exposed opponents need respecting.
Pembroke may prove better suited to chasing following a breathing operation.
His sire Blue Bresil's progeny are 21-86 (24% +£58.86) in non-handicap chases, and he may prove capable of improving enough for the change of discipline to pounce late on the front-running favourite.
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The Class 4 2m Handicap Chase at Uttoxeter (4.15) is a cracking six-runner contest with a tissue ranging from 9/4 to 6/1.
All six are effectively returning from breaks in terms of likely fitness, as Only Money unseated his rider at the second after a break at Plumpton recently.
The field can be safely split into three categories. Master Dancer and Masked Crusader have had three runs each over regulation fences and, while both have displayed enough to be respected in the market, it is hard not to prefer the more hardened campaigners in the second category.
The exposed chasers who have a considerable form chance are Only Money and Rose Sea Has. They are 4-14 and 4-28 over fences and it wouldn't at all surprise if they were to prove competitive off 117 and 121.
Only Money's better overall strike-rate, including a success at this time of year, tips the balance in his favour.
The third category brings in the two debutants over regulation fences. General Medrano and Bubble Dubi achieved a similar level of form over hurdles last season.
General Medrano's Racing Post Rating of 120 was achieved later in the season in the spring.
Bubble Dubi's 122 rating only slightly earlier and, on the face of it, Bubble Dubi holds the edge off 117 compared to General Medrano's 118.
Perhaps more significantly, when they both met off level weights on their seasonal reappearances at Chepstow in early-November, Bubble Dubi reached an eye-catching second behind the subsequent Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle winner Tahmuras.
General Medrano was held back in eighth. Both are considered good chasing prospects but today might be a likelier day for the selection Bubble Dubi.
Only Money warrants a slightly smaller interest, as the ground may have dried out to suit his claims by late afternoon on Sunday.
2.45 Uttoxeter - Pembroke @ 7/2
4.15 Uttoxeter - Bubble Dubi @ 7/2
4.15 Uttoxeter - Only Money @ 6/4
All odds are correct at time of writing and subject to change.
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