Tanya Stevenson's Racing UK Blog
	Wednesday 1st January 2014

Let�s hope Racing can get the Pulse going on New Year�s Day

Welcome to 2014 and here is hoping for bigger field sizes, fewer odds-on favourites and on-course each-way terms to revert back to what they should be – a quarter the odds for handicaps of 16 runners or more.

I was disgusted at Chepstow on Saturday when only five of the bookmakers in Tattersalls offered those terms for the Welsh National.  Please; just 5% of handicaps have 16 or more runners and fewer fall in to the 16 to 21 catchment.

As for field sizes nothing seems to change, although the ground is clearly a factor but 14 of the 32 races to be staged today after Exeter’s demise have six or fewer runners declared in them. 

What I have done since Chepstow is watch the remnants of the Ashes, the Ladbrokes PDC World Darts Championship and the final week of the NFL regular season games. What has also graced my TV screen is a a brilliant performance from Hurricane Fly, although I do think Jezki wasn’t given the recognition he deserved as he was held up and blocked at a crucial time in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown.

By some miracle, three of the four teams I have backed to win the Superbowl have progressed through to the playoff - Detroit faded badly towards the end.  I do hope that Matt Stafford stays on the team sheet as watching him at Wembley towards the end of the year would be a treat. 

As for the three that are left I don’t hold out much hope, but at least it will cause me much angst across Saturday and Sunday with the Bengals, Saints and Packers.  More on them in my posting at the end of the week.

It is a big day for Racing Pulse at Cheltenham in the Neptune Investment.  I thought he looked the business when strolling home in splendid isolation at Newcastle recently.  Then the plan was believed to be another run at perhaps, Newcastle. He was also entered at Catterick, yet John Quinn hasn’t shirked the issue and he faces, amongst others, Ballyalton, which is a statement of intent.  As I’ve backed him for the Albert Bartlett fingers tightly crossed he puts in a big run. 

Following Nick Williams’s runners has served me well recently.  It’s not often AP McCoy rides for the trainer, in fact just seven times in the last five seasons.  The combination has borne only one winner but the booking on Alfie Spinner is an intriguing one.  It would be typical though if Restless Harry was to blitz it and win after I tipped him on Saturday only for him to be hampered. 

Back to Alfie Spinner, he ran well enough at Sandown in the London National and dropping back three furlongs may help him lead all the way. 

If either or both can win what a start to 2014 that would be, which leaves me to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Tanya’s New Year’s day tips:

12.10 Cheltenham: Racing Pulse at 9-4 with MansionBet

12.45 Cheltenham: Alfie Spinner at 6-1 with MansionBet

Tanya's Pointers:

Oscar Whisky has had five wins, two seconds and a third from his 11 runs at Cheltenham

Not including his runners at Warwick on New Year’s Eve, Nicky Henderson has had eight winners and two seconds from his last ten runners

Eight of the last nine winners of 1.20 Cheltenham finished no worse than second on their most recent run

Seven of the last nine winners of 1.20 Cheltenham were no older than seven

Only one of the last eight winners of 1.55 Cheltenham was aged older than seven

Since 2005 the only horse to win 1.55 Cheltenham having had their last run over chase fences was Big Buck’s in 2009

Only one of the last nine favourites has won 2.30 Cheltenham, yet only two of the nine were priced in double figures

Five of the last nine winners of 2.30 Cheltenham ran at the course on their most recent run

Six of the last nine winners of 2.30 Cheltenham ran at Aintree in April

Six of the last eight winners of 3.05 Cheltenham ran in either the Champion Hurdle or World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival

Donald McCain has a 36% strike rate with his chasers at Musselburgh over the last five years

John Ferguson has a 33% strike rate with his hurdlers at Musselburgh over the last five years