TOTE SCOOP6 LATEST BETTING TIPS AND SELECTIONS FOR JANUARY 23

We are finally back to an all-jumps Scoop6 and those folks over at the tote have put together an absolutely intriguing slate of racing for us punters to decipher. Courtesy of Michael Flips, there was no Scoop6 winner last week so we will all be pursuing the £73,066 win fund with whatever gets added on from Saturday’s play. I’m quite confident that we’ll see a very robust pool as the combination of an all-jumps card and several graded races ensures that we’ll have plenty of high-stakes thrills ahead.
In the 1st race on the card, we’ve got the 1942 Was a Vintage Year Mares Hurdle (Grade 2), which is registered as the Warfield Mares Hurdle at 2:05 at Ascot. There’s three solid contenders here and they include Tony McCoy and Strawberry as well as Ruby Walsh on top of Easter Legend, but I’m leaning towards siding with the venerable Whiteoak for this run. Strawberry has two wins on the bounce over solid fields at Fakenham and Kempton and has never teamed with AP before. She’s a 9 year-old and hasn’t competed at Graded level before and boasts a hit-or-miss record in a seemingly endless series of Listed Races and Handicaps. I think she’s a contender, but I don’t see any wins over the Ascot surface and I’m not sure how she matches up to a well-run race by Whiteoak. Easter Legend looks progressive and is lightly-raced this season with a victory from her single start, coincidentally at Ascot, in the Kleenex Mares Handicap Hurdle back in November. This six-year old mare looks a progressive sort and has never partnered with Ruby before. She could be the main challenger down the stretch. My choice for this one, however, is Whiteoak- a mare who may not boast the most impressive record as of late, but that’s because she’s been competing against the geldings in Grade 1 action for the better part of the last 2 years. This is a festival horse, who took the Grade 2 David Nicholson Mares Hurdle back in 2008 and put in a middle of the pack run in the Champion Hurdle last time at Cheltenham. So far this season, she’s run 3-1-6 with the victory coming in a Listed race for mares and a 3rd place finish to Celestial Halo at Wincanton and a 6th place finish to Big Bucks in the Long Walk Hurdle. I think the step down plays well to her strengths and she looks the pick this time out. I’ll be selecting Whiteoak and Easter Legend for the 1st leg of the Scoop6.
The 2nd race of the day, this time from Wincanton, is the Mere Handicap Hurdle- a 2m6f over heavy ground and it looks to be the most difficult punt of the day. I have a feeling a fair amount of tickets may crash on this race. It’s not a very high-quality field, but there is still plenty of talent afoot. There’s a few standouts here, including Sir Harry Lewis’ Global Flyer- a 6 year-old bay gelding who has been fairly heavily-raced this year but looks to be coming into form. I think that many runs isn’t a big deal for a 6 year-old, especially one on its rookie season on the jumps. He rallied very well his last time out in a Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon. From the formcard, he looks a progressive sort. One emerging talent to keep your eye on here is the Jonjo O’Neill-trained (and JP McManus-owned) 5 year-old Badger Foot- a solid-looking Irish jumper who is looking to get a score here after finished a solid second in a Maiden at Chepstow in December. You can’t beat the connections and we’ll have Noel Fehily aboard for the trip. Taking a big step down in class is Forzy Origny, am 8 year-old out of Alan King’s system owned by Sir Robert Ogden. He’s run at Grade 3 level before, finishing 5th out of 11 to Kasbah Bliss at Autreil. He ran 6 of 19 in a handicap at Kempton on boxing day and looks like a much more experienced jumper than the field on hand here. I’ll be siding with Forzy Origny and Global Flyer while I may have a punt on Badger Foot.
The 3rd race is the prestigious Grade 1 Victor Chandler Chase and we have some absolutely top-class runners kicking off at Ascot at 2:40. The delicious combination of Ruby Walsh/Paul Nicholls/Twist Magic are the jump-off-the-card selection here with Twist Magic looking to replicate his Tingle Creek Chase form. He is 3-1 for the season with that place coming in a Grade 3 William Hill Gold Cup Chase. He’s beaten some very quality runners with Ruby on top and will be looking to get one over again here. I think he’s a very strong choice. Well Chief, an experienced 11 year-old out of David Pipe’s system finished 3rd to Twist Magic in the Tingle Creek and is looking for revenge with Timmy Murphy aboard once again. He started the season so well with a big score in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham. He ran 2nd best to Petit Robin in the Desert Orchid and I have a feeling his connections want a victory to drop a Cheltenham price. I’m unconvinced. Nicky Henderson’s Petit Robin has only been out once this season and that plays to his favour. He scored against Well Chief in the Desert Orchid running as the 5/2 favourite against David Pipe’s jumper. He has every chance here if he gets the right trip and he is 100% with McCoy on top, albeit from a solitary start in a handicap chase back on November of 2008. The other runners here are recognizable, but most are coming in off the handicap and listed circuits and likely won’t be able to match against the big 3. I’m taking Twist Magic and Petit Robin.
Leg 4 of the Scoop6 is another Grade 2 at Ascot with a rather wide field. This is the 2nd toughest race of the day, but I’m going to jump right onto Michael Flips- who scored in dramatic fashion last weekend and I’m also looking at Qozak who took a nice score yesterday at Taunton. It was his first run of the year and he looks in absolutely cracking form. He is 114-1 and has been shredding it up at Taunton. All those victories came on soft or good to soft and that plays to his favour. He is 50% with Ruby on top and comes in highly-rate and looks very progressive. Michael Flips is being backed on form and I think he is capable of this one, although it is a step up for him. He’s run mid-pack in a Grade 1 so he shouldn’t feel too out of place here. I think these two have every chance.
Grand National winner Mon Mome headlines the 5th race, a Grade 2 from Haydock at 3:30 and Miss Venetia William’s 10 year-old bay is still looking for his first score of the season. He was pulled up during Denman’s romp to the Hennessy and finished 3rd from 8 in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett’s. He will contest this one, but I’m not sure if the victory is in the cards for the big fella today. 12 year-old Our Vic is likely the only runner here who has ever beaten Kauto Star, back in 2008 in the tote bowl Chase. He’s very experienced and has run against the best for the past several years. His only victory this season has been at Warwick against a field of 5 in the totesport Chase. If David Pipe’s charge gets a perfect trip he might do it, but I don’t fancy him to roll back the years. If you’re looking to back a form horse, try the 7 year-old Fortification who comes into the race with four wins on the bounce. He is 31111 this season and looks to have sorted himself out having come off the selling circuit last spring. He is not nearly as distinguished as many of the others in the race, but may enjoy the step up in class here. According to Pete is another to mention here, he is quite accomplished, but the form is lacking. I’ll be backing Fortification and Our Vic.
The final race of the day is the 3:45 Victorchandler.com Handicap Chase at Ascot. Tamarinbleu is one of the bigger names in here, as is The Sawyer, but I’ve got my eye on an up-and-coming jumper called Will Be Done who comes into the race having just won a Novices Hurdle at Leicester in late December. H certainly knows how to win and past scores over Tartak and Nine De Sivola belie confidence for this one. He loves the soft surface (all of his victories have come on soft) and I think he’s well-posed for this one, especially with adding Tony McCoy on top- that’s a sign from his connections that he’s looking for a win here. Ellerslie George looks a decent pick, but I’m steering clear in favour of Miss Mitch a 9 year old owned by Clipper Logistics. He ran 2nd to Our Vic in the totesport.com Chase and scored at Ascot last year in the 1942 Was a Vintage Year Chase, which is the 1st leg of today’s Scoop6. I think that’s a sign and he has all the references he needs. I’m selecting Miss Mitch and Will Be Done for the sixth leg.