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Tanya's Blog - Wednesday 25th April 2012

The rain hasn’t relented since the early hours of the morning so perhaps flippers would be the order of the day for all today’s race meetings. Runners are bound to come down the stand side in search of the better ground at Epsom, it is tradition. I’ll be heading to the Surrey venue very shortly as I’m led to believe there is a major announcement being revealed.

Intrigued, but also excited as I have been counting down the days since Cameron Highland ran at Redcar until his next start which is in Epsom’s Derby Trian at 3.20. He won by 8 lengths at Redcar it could have been further and I don’t think the softening ground will be any inconvenience. Great to see Aidan O’Brien field a runner and Unex Michelangelo must also have big claims as he has encountered heavy ground in France.

Couldn’t believe my eyes this morning when I caught sight of Helium carrying top weight in Punchestown’s 3.40, been betting him blind lately, well ever since his good fifth to Bourne at Ascot, and it’s given me a feeling of deflation. I know he has ability, he put up a really strange performance at Aintree last time and I will be watching him closely in the office today.

Punchestown has been a happy hunting ground for Phillip Hobbs and Richard Johnson, accentuated yesterday by the phenomenal achievement of Snap Tie who won after a 921 day layoff. Today it’s time to bring Captain Chris back into the limelight. After an ugly and horrid display of jumping in the Argento Chase on 28 January, Richard Johnson pulled him up swiftly. Captain Chris then crept in under the radar into the Ryanair Chase, and ran a blinding race without obtaining the recognition. Never in contention he only crept into camera shot when jumping the last and running on strongly. Now my beloved Quito De La Roque is out of the 5.30, Captain Chris has to be my selection.

Cheltenham Festival Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Champagne Fever runs in Punchestown’s 6.05 but be warned eleven of the last 13 winners have raced no more than three times previously.

Tips

3.20pm Epsom: Cameron Highland

5.30pm Punchestown: Captain Chris

Tanya's Pointers

Sylvester Kirk has had four winners from his last eight runners

Roger Varian has had four winners from his last nine runners

Aidan O’Brien has had four winners from his last eleven runners

Joe Fanning has had five winners and two seconds from his last eleven rides

Five of the last six winners of Epsom’s 5.00 have come from the first two in the betting

The favourite has won Epsom’s 3.20 five times from the last eight years

Tony Hamilton has won Catterick’s 2.40 three times from his last five rides

Mick Channon has won Catterick’s 3.45 five times from his last seven runners

The favourite has won Punchestown’s 4.55 five times in the last eight years

The favourite has won Punchestown’s 5.30 seven times in the last ten years

Phillip Hobbs and Richard Johnson have a 35% strike rate at Punchestown