In-Running Week: Bolster your bank balance

Neil sees The Giant Bolster as a trading horse

Neil Munro looks at some of the best in-running angles to emerge from the recent action.

Heavy rain with a hint of snow; 9,500 people drinking copious amounts of alcohol and shouting at the top of their voices; burgers or fish and chips in a polystyrene tray. Does anything say Valentines more than Newbury Racecourse on Betfair Super Saturday? Well that is where I took the better half on Saturday so it just shows I still wear the trousers. Well, I believe I do. Admittedly it was part of a deal we made where I then took her to a gastro-pub that she had always wanted to dine at and two days in a lavish converted stable. So when I say I wear the trousers it would probably be more accurate to say WE wear the trousers.

Although the weather wasn't great on Saturday, the racing was. Newbury really did deliver top class entertainment and I think I have identified some interesting individuals to trade on as well as, for a change, some classy types as well.

Horses for the Database:

My Tent Or Yours

I did suggest the idea of a tent to the other half but that got quashed pretty quickly so I made do with watching JP McManus's exciting six year old make very easy work of some battled hardened opposition in the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle. My Tent Or Yours appears to have all you need in a top class two mile hurdler with a very high cruising speed, gears and the ability to get over his fences quickly. Connections will have to make the decision of whether they go for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham but the Supreme still looks the most likely target. With the above qualities he should trade short in the run and be an obvious candidate for a back to lay trade.

Back My Tent Or Yours pre-race at BSP and then lay out for a green book at around your matched price. 

The Giant Bolster

He put up a far better performance at Newbury than in the King George and finished a similar distance behind Silviniaco Conti as in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. With Cheltenham and better ground likely to bring about a slightly improved performance from The Giant Bolster there will be fans of him each-way for the Gold Cup but for me he is a trading horse. I prefer it when connections put him up near the pace and he can get into a rhythm. When that happens he is more than likely to trade shorter in the run.

Back The Giant Bolster in the run if he jumps the first fence in a prominent position. Then lay out your stake at the matched price with a further offer up just above evens to have the field winning for you.

Hadrian's Approach

Nicky Henderson's six year old has shown supreme battling qualities and did so again at Newbury last weekend in defeat to Unioniste. Hadrian's Approach was being worked on from a fair way out and made a mistake at the last but still came back for more. He has shown this before, and because of this, has traded bigger in the run when winning. On the flip side of this, he nearly always gets into the shake up and has some low trades as well. Cheltenham is an interesting conundrum as the horse seems better right handed so they might go straight to Punchestown rather than run in the RSA.

Back Hadrian's Approach pre-race for small stakes at BSP, and then try to back at double BSP before laying out your combined stake or more at around the matched price. Lay off further at lower odds if running left handed.

Remember with Cheltenham Festival trades to put them in slightly higher or lower than at other meetings due to the volume of money and the fact that you are trading on a more a market that is very mature.

Something for the weekend

Listed 3m Handicap Chase at Ascot - Vino Griego won last time out and connections suggested that he had become more straight forward but I would still be weary of how he finishes his races. He has traded his BSP 68% of the time and also traded 2xBSP in the run for all three wins. Viking Blond is likely to be one of the likely pace angles and could well be a candidate for a back to lay trade. He also has an entry in the Grand National Trial up at Haydock.

Grade 3 3m4f Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock - Giles Cross is one of the likely pace angles to compete with Viking Blond in a prominent position and has traded at BSP in the run 15 times in 18 runs. I would only lay out my stake at that point and then put up some low odds-on trades to green the book up.