Today’s bets:


5.20 - Sedgefield:
Lahib The Fifth - 2 pts e/w. Available at 9/1 (Sportingbet and Coral)
Woody Valentine - 1 pt e/w. Available at 18/1 (Skybet)
Summer jumping on fast ground can be an unappealing betting medium but in an open looking handicap hurdle it's possible the chances of both Lahib The Fifth and Woody Valentine have been underestimated. Lahib The Fifth has obviously had his problems because he has only made it to the race track on 15 occasions and is now a nine year old. However there were some encouraging signs over this C/D last time out. He is not guaranteed to build on that, and it's doubtful he will return to his previous best, but a mark of 90 still leaves him well below his peak rating of the past. Both his owner and powerful yard have retained faith in him so it's likely he retains the ability to win at this sort of level. The stable have a good track record and a profitable 17% strike rate with today's three pound claimer aboard their hurdlers. Woody Valentine is almost back to the form he was showing in the 05/06 season and seems to have had his confidence restored by a couple of Selling wins in April/May. He has done little wrong since over both hurdles and fences and can be forgiven his effort last time out when he made a bad mistake and lost all momentum at a vital stage in soft ground at Cartmel. He looks weighted to his best but connections have elected to use an experienced seven pound claimer to ease his burden.

5.30 - Goodwood - Satwa Laird - 2 pts win. Available at 13/2 (General)
Several in this race have gone well at this idiosyncratic track in the past but a chance is taken on Satwa Laird who encounters it for the first time. He is relatively lightly raced compared to the majority of these and, after just ten races, open to more improvement. He has disappointed a few times this season but he was within three lengths of the progressive Brief Encounter at York in May, within six lengths of Fareer in the Britannia at Ascot in June and within three lengths of the winner of a Salisbury handicap last time out, the form of which is being held up by those that finished around him. All those races were against his own age group and he steps into all age company for the first time today. However he has shown enough in those good performances to suggest he is up to winning from a mark of 81 and the likely generous pace of this race will suit his running style. His jockey is beginning to find top gear and the yard have been amogst the winners over the past week.

5.40 - Lingfield - Santefisio - 2 pts win. Available at 5/1 (General) 1st 7/2 - 5's available earlier