Betting Tips - The Racing Post Plate

The Racing Post Plate, formerly entitled the Mildmay of Flete, has a wide-open look to it and a case can be made for many, including the novices Billyvoddan and Napolitain, in addition to the lightly-weighted Irish raider, Ross River. However, on the form of his penultimate effort - over this very course and distance on New Year's Day - Too Forward looks an absolute snip at 14/1 with Blue Square. Indeed, form-wise that effort stands out like a shining beacon in this contest. Mark Pitman's charge ran the classy Fondmort to three parts-of-a-length, making that rival dig deep. The selection doesn't look at all badly treated off a mark just 3lb higher in this heat and, bearing in mind that Fondmort would be a very short price if he were to run in this contest, the 14/1 really does look incredibly generous. The reason he's available at that price probably has much to do with the fact that he was a well-held fifth in the Skybet Chase at Southwell on his latest start. However, it is patently that he didn't see out the three mile trip on the good to soft going and, therefore, that run is best overlooked. Too Forward beat Graphic Approach by a comfortable five-lengths at Newbury in November, and should readily confirm the placings on just 1lb worse terms here. Personally, I'm surprised that Charlie Egerton's charge is as short as 9/1 in places for this, as his form just isn't good enough to make him a serious contender for this in my opinion. Sure, the testing conditions may have found him out when below par in the Racing Post Chase last time out, but he is now 8lb higher in the ratings compared to when recording a victory at Sandown on his penultimate start when he would have been a readily beaten second had Ladalko not come to grief at the second-last. Paul Nicholls' Napolitain is a genuine, tough customer, who merits respect, but fellow novice Baillyvoddan is feared more so. In the main, his jumping is very sound. He beat a decent sort in Reveillez in a smart novice chase at Leicester last time, having previously contested a classy novice chase over this course and distance in January. Napolitain was three lengths ahead in second there (the third, Star de Mohaison, boosted the form by winning the Sun Alliance Chase), but I'd expect Billyvoddan to exact revenge on 8lb better terms here. I'm not convinced by Bannow Strand, and the fact that the Martin Pipe stable seems to firing blanks doesn't do much for the confidence. Ross River, the mount of Paul Carberry, has to be of interest off his current mark and he is certainly on the shortlist, but I just wonder whether this trip on genuine good ground will present enough of a test for him, as most of his racing has been over farther and under conditions far more testing than he will encounter here.