Timeform Radio Tips: Call him the winner

Racing at Ffos Las comes under the inspection of Rory Delargy.

Rory Delargy reckons he has found a winner at Ffos Las at a tasty price...

Pickings are very much on the slim side at Ffos Las and Market Rasen today, and finding a reliable betting medium isn't easy. There are few obvious bets around, but a bit of digging will hopefully gain its reward.

At Ffos Las, the Novices Handicap Chase at 14:50 is a race which makes minimal appeal at first glance, with only Orange Nassau and Derwen Pride having shown any form last time out. That pair are expected to dominate if the market is to be believed, but neither looks well treated, with Orange Nassau firmly put in his place in a 5-runner affair last time, and hailing from a yard whose runners of late have been showing worrying signs that all isn't well.

Orange Nassau is sure to start favourite as his record is less patchy than that of his rivals, but I can't bring myself to back a Charlie Longsdon horse at present (only one of the yard's last 10 runners over jumps has been beaten less than 25 lengths, which is a serious concern for such a fastidious operation). Derwen Pride has been beaten on all 5 starts at Ffos las, and hails from a yard which is going through its now-typical winter drought. Peter Bowen's last winner came in the shape of Sizing Santiago at Newbury in November, and he went through a similar barren spell at the same time last year. 

Material Boy and Russian Song both ran poorly last time, and get a change of headgear today, with the former trying both a visor and tongue tie for the first time, and the latter having his usual cheekpieces swapped for blinkers. That could be enough to spark either or both to life, but the one who makes most appeal is Callhimwhatyouwant. Dr Richard Newland has his team in excellent order, with Ardkilly Witness running a blinder to be second in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Hurdle at Haydock yesterday, and all of his runners in February running at least respectably, and he has developed a reputation as having a very keen eye for recruits from the pointing field. He may well have unearthed another one with this son of Old Vic out of a full-sister to Pertemps Hurdle third Alexanderthegreat, with their dam herself a half-sister to Fissure Seal, who won that contest under its former guise.

It's fair to say that Callhimwhatyouwant is bred to stay extremely well, and his ventures over hurdles for his current yard are likely to be eclipsed given this switch to fences and step up in trip. The selections was known as a bold-jumping front runner in his time between the flags, and he wasn't out of the first 2 in 5 completed starts in the 2011/12 campaign. The highlight, arguably, was an unlucky defeat (rider lost irons at last before rallying strongly) at the hands of the very useful Carthalawn last March. That came in an open contest, and while assessing point form can be fraught with danger, that looks easily good enough form to win a race like this. A return to forcing tactics looks on the cards today, and that is expected to coincide with a change of fortune.

Timeform Radio Tips:
Back Callhimwhatyouwant @ 7.06/1 in the 14:50 at Ffos Las

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