Timeform Radio Tips: Brother Scott to score at Sedgefield

David's best bet runs at Sedgfield on Tuesday

David Cleary is looking forward to York's Dante meeting which starts tomorrow, but he has still found two bets for you on Tuesday...

Oh for the days when the Dante meeting ran from Tuesday to Thursday. This afternoon's Yorkshire Flat card at Beverley doesn't quite cut it against the prospect of the Musidora, the Duke of York and some fiendishly competitive handicaps. That, sadly, will have to wait for tomorrow; meanwhile, today's best options look to be at the two jumping cards which support Beverley, at Sedgefield and Wincanton.

First up is the day's standout - Brother Scott in the 16.30 at Sedgefield. 'Ticks all the right boxes' is a horrible, cliched expression but it is appropriate in the case of Brother Scott, from Sue Smith's in-form yard, as he looks to have just about everything in his favour in this run-of-the-mill handicap hurdle. He's the least exposed in the field, as well as the best handicapped, having gone up only 1 lb for his good run in a stronger race at Doncaster on his last completed start. Indeed, he might well have won off this mark last time, but for unseating rider three out in a ladies handicap at Wetherby, upsides the eventual winner at the time.

Those are Brother Scott's sole starts in handicaps so far, having learnt the ropes in novices after showing fair form in bumpers. In contrast, his opponents are a motley bunch, all more exposed, less well handicapped, not to mention generally unreliable to boot. It will be disappointing if Brother Scott gets beaten.

There are no such good things at Wincanton but the handicap hurdle at 14.50 makes some appeal as a betting race. It's a case of looking a gift horse in the mouth, as the seemingly thrown-in Present Accepted is taken on with the more solid claims of Finmerello. Finmerello shaped well in quite a competitive race at Huntingdon after a break last time and today's slightly shorter trip will be to her advantage. She looks sure to run a race, whereas Present Accepted seemed to show huge improvement from nowhere at Exeter last week. However, he was a 100/1-chance in a weak novice on firm ground in which nothing behind him is likely to have given its running. He could bolt up but Finmerello is by far the more likely to give her running and is the option. 

Recommended bets:

Back Brother Scott @ 3.1511/5 in the 16.30 at Sedgefield
Back Finmerello @ 7.26/1 in the 14.50 at Wincanton

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