Punchestown News: Long Run seeking Gold

Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is hoping to make his first ride at Punchestown a winning one when Long Run contests the Punchestown Gold Cup tomorrow...

Nicky Henderson's dual King George winner will face seven rivals in the feature race of the meeting, including his stablemate Riverside Theatre.

Long Run finished third in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham for the second successive year, but for the last four seasons his campaign has ended in Gloucestershire.

This year, however, connections are keen to let him have one more spin.

"He appears to have come out of Cheltenham very well and seems to be enjoying life so we thought we'd rise to the challenge and take on Ireland," said Waley-Cohan.

"You can never be sure that a horse has fully recovered from a race like the Gold Cup but the horse usually tells you himself if he's up to another run and everything we've seen tells us that he is, he's been working very well.

"I've never ridden at Punchestown before and am really excited to be going over there.

"This is one of the great racing festivals and it's a real thrill to be part of it."

Willie Mullins runs Gold Cup runner-up Sir Des Champs while in the same Gigginstown Stud ownership Mouse Morris' Aintree Bowl winner First Lieutenant and Colm Murphy's Quito De La Roque take their chance.

Paul Nicholls, who won the race twice with Neptune Collonges in 2007 and 2008, is represented by Kauto Stone, with Philip Hobbs, successful with Planet Of Sound in 2010, running Captain Chris, second to Long Run in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Gordon Elliott's Chicago Grey completes the field.

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Super League betting: Leeds seeking to gain revenge

"Leeds suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wigan in this fixture last season and I can see them getting their revenge"

Stuart Jones gives us his bet bets for the weekend

Leeds Rhinos vs Wigan Warriors
An in-and-out start to the season is just about par for the course where the Rhinos are concerned and predicting which Leeds side will turn up during the regular season doesn't look like getting any easier. Brian McDermott has named an unchanged nineteen from last week, meaning Ben Jones-Bishop and Zak Hardaker are still absent.

Wigan have had to rely heavily on their youth system so far this season and there academy products have certainly acquitted themselves well up to now. The losses of Lee Mossop and Harrison Hansen were a bitter blow to a side already lacking in experience, but Shaun Wane has at least been able to call upon Darrell Goulding in the centres after a short spell out.

Leeds suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wigan in this fixture last season and I can see them getting their revenge, especially if rumours about Sam Tomkins missing the game are proved to be true.

Salford City Reds vs Warrington Wolves
A draw away to Wakefield was a sign that things may well be picking up for the Reds, that game the first in charge for caretaker boss Alan Hunte, but they may well have been fortunate to bump into a Wakefield side that were feeling the effects of pushing Huddersfield and Catalans close in the previous two rounds.

This is exactly the type of game in which Warrington bully their opposition, and even without Lee Briers, I see no reason as to why the Wolves can't rack up a big score against a side that still has a great deal to prove defensively.

Warrington should be keen to bounce back from their defeat to Saints last week and I can't see -17.5 being enough.

Huddersfield Giants vs Hull FC
Both of these sides were able to return to winning ways with their stand-off's back to fitness last Friday, with Huddersfield's Danny Brough playing a pivotal role in their win over the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.

Huddersfield's large forward pack is what most people talk about when coming up against the Giants, but it's certainly no coincidence that their only defeat this season came when Brough was in the stands.

Daniel Holdsworth played his part in Hull's win over Castleford, though the result in that game was clear from a very early stage. Castleford's left-hand side proving to be extremely vulnerable with no less than seven of Hull's try's coming down that channel. The downside for Hull was that a brawl late on has resulted in them missing Danny Tickle through suspension.

The Giants may well have the chance to go top with a win here and I can't see them being turned over on home turf this time around.

1 pt Leeds to win outright @1.8810/11
2 pts on Warrington to win by -17.5 pts at 1.9110/11
back Huddersfield Giants to win by - 8.5 pts at 1.9110/11

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Follow The Money: Seeking the Magic

Follow the Money / Follow The Money / 16 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

"Our final selection is in the 17:15 at Bath where Seeking Magic has had steady support to move from [7.60] to [5.60]. After being placed on each of his last four starts, he was unlucky not to get a second career win last time out when caught on the line by one of today’s rivals, Seamus Shindig."

Two backs and one lay are as ever, the order of the day.

Our first race is the 14:15 at Kempton where Lady Chloe has been on the drift this morning from [1.80] out to [2.96]. Of the horses with experience over hurdles in this maiden contest there appears to be only two with realistic claims and they rightly head the betting. Our selected lay bet may have won first time out over obstacles but the form hasn't held up particularly well and the preference would be for her main competitor, Alfraamsey, who has looked very assured since making the switch from the flat.

Staying at Kempton for the 15:50, Total Submission has been well supported down to [3.80] from [5.20]. He has already shown he can go well fresh when winning on his return in 2010 and he was fourth in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham that winter. Although he didn't go on to reach the heights that may have been expected, he always looked as though fences would suit and connections have placed him straight into handicap company for his jumping debut.

Our final selection is in the 17:15 at Bath where Seeking Magic has had steady support to move from [7.60] to [5.60]. After being placed on each of his last four starts, he was unlucky not to get a second career win last time out when caught on the line by one of today's rivals, Seamus Shindig. Whilst others may well play a part in the race, he is now weighted to reverse that result and it is easy to see why backers are supporting his quest for revenge.

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Lay Lady Chloe @ [2.96] Kempton 14:15
Back Total Submission@ [3.80] Kempton 15:50
Back Seeking Magic @ [5.60] Bath 17:15

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