One bet on the Compiegne card today, in the fillies’ juvenile claiming hurdle (11.20am).
David Windrif may not quite be operating at the level he was a few years ago, but he has always done well with his juvenile hurdlers and La Cuenta looks overpriced in what looks a pretty desperate contest.
She looked absolutely clueless on her debut at two, but that came over 1m1f and you wouldn’t expect much over that trip from a daughter of National Hunt performer-turned sire Choeur Du Nord, out of a daughter of Martaline.
Her only run since came in the Prix d’Essai Des Pouliches here a fortnight ago, which is traditionally a very competitive fillies’ contest. I thought she jumped and travelled well through the race in the rear of mid-division, but she was very badly-hampered at the last in the back straight and was pulled up before they jumped the third-last.
She showed enough that day to suggest she can compete at this significantly lower level and, though Lansdowne Road and Jap Chope make obvious appeal now switching from the flat, at 14-1 La Cuenta fits the bill.
11.20am Compiegne – 1pt win La Cuenta @ 14-1 (all firms)
An interesting card at Chantilly today and I am taking a chance on German raider Tangut in the staying conditions event (2.50pm).
Trainer Bohumil Nedorostek might not be a familiar name to many, but he has been a big mover in the trainers’ championship in Germany in the past couple of seasons, finishing 11th in 2020, and the former jump jockey enjoyed a notable success as a trainer in France last year with Jin Jin making all to land a Group 3 at Saint-Cloud.
He has been sent some interesting horses by Darius Racing and Tangut is a talented recruit. Runner-up to Deia on her first start last year (since placed twice at Listed level), she went on to finish fourth in the Italian Oaks in July, one place behind Made In Italy, who won off 95 for Marco Botti last month (RPR102). Down the field in the German Oaks on her next outing, she ran perfectly well to finish runner-up to Andre Fabre’s Rose D’Etoile on her sole start in France, at Deauville in August, in class 1 company. That one went on to finish third in Listed company next time out.
We’re taking fitness on trust, but her German rating of 85 is the equivalent of 42.5 in France, putting her on the same rating as the strong favourite here, and she gets 7lbs from him. She went well first time out last year and given the lack of strength in depth here, she looks a cracking each-way option against the favourite.
2.50pm Chantilly – 1.5pts each-way Tangut @ 12-1 (Bet365, Skybet, William Hill, BetVictor)
