Course specialist Pasco to go well again at Newbury on Saturday?

News / Timeform / 02 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Newbury Racecourse

"Warner reported how they have had to wait for better going for Pasco..."

Owner Terry Warner is hoping Pasco's affinity for the Berkshire track will stand him in good stead in Saturday's two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase due off at 15:10...

Swiss-bred Pasco, rated 140 over fences by Timeform but also having a 'squiggle' (indicates suspect temperament), has won three times at Newbury and also finished runner-up to Big Fella Thanks and Mount Oscar in course-and-distance handicaps since March 2010.

The roan nine-year-old, trained by Betfair columnist Paul Nicholls, has not won since taking a Huntingdon novice chase in February 2009 but has been in the frame on all of his last seven completed starts.

However, Pasco was off the track for 10 months prior to returning this winter (had breathing op in interim) and when it's considered that the better of his two efforts was when last of four to Time For Rupert in three-mile a minor event at Newbury, it's clear that he's going to have to bounce back to his best to be competitive.

Warner reported how they have had to wait for better going for Pasco and that he is a lightly-raced horse, presumably owing to physical problems that have meant he has been hard to train.

Mad Max is another horse that goes well at Newbury, though his trio of wins were in a pair of bumpers and over hurdles when he was trained by Nicky Henderson.

Now in the care of Neil Mulholland, the 10-year-old, who's career has been plagued by wind problems, was well below form when third to Giorgio Quercus at Haydock on his first outing since the stable switch.

While his new trainer believes the the track and the good ground will suit him, he looks up against it.

Timeform top-rated is Fine Parchment, winner of the race 12 months ago, and his trainer Charlie Mann is confident the 138-rated chaser can follow up though admitting that the horse had felt pretty sorry for himself for a while after getting stuck in the mud on Aintree in December.

Of the others, Gary Moore feels Fix The Rib would prefer to go right-handed, Henry Daly is saddling Pickamus as he's not guaranteed to get in at Cheltenham, and Jo Davis believes Passato has got plenty on his plate.

Alan King has expressed how Araldur is the biggest horse is his yard and, therefore, will enjoy the course at Newbury better than he did the undulations at Cheltenham.

Full betting for the is now available for the Barbury International Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase by clicking HERE.

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Timeform ratings were in great form last Saturday! Among 5 top-rated winners at Kempton was Nacarat (BSP [5.58]). Click HERE for today's cards & ratings.

Likeable 14-year-old Hello Bud bids to roll back the year's in the staying veterans' chase at Newbury on Saturday and put himself under consideration for the Grand National at Aintree on April 14......

Grand National hope Backstage is injured and out for the rest of the season......

Timeform look ahead to a weekend featuring a number of Grand National hopefuls running at Newbury and Kelso on Saturday, as well as quality Irish and International action on Sunday......

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WGC Golf Tips: Back the matchplay specialist

World Match Play / Paul Krishnamurty / 27 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Luke Donald is arguably the best exponent of matchplay golf in the world

"Matchplay is different, however, especially over 18 holes. Some players clearly prefer this format, and Donald is the ultimate example. Luke has won his five matches this week by an incredible 22 hole aggregate margin, compared to 11 for Kaymer. He is the only player who hasn't at least endured a bad spell of holes, except perhaps when taking his foot off the gas against Manassero."

It's been a marathon week and the reduction of the final to just 18 holes has been welcomed by Paul Krishnamurty. But who will come out on top and seal the deal?

WGC organisers have made a smart move in shortening tonight's final to 18 holes. While we would all like to see as much golf as possible, the week is something of a marathon anyway and previous 36-hole finals have tended to drag on, especially when they've been one-sided. US TV coverage is bad enough without giving them an extra five minutes between shots to fill. And in all truth, it will be nice to put my feet up for a couple of hours with the Sunday paper this afternoon, after yesterday's gruelling schedule.

Martin Kaymer may well share that sentiment after last night's late finish, though if the German needs a lift, all he need do is look at the updated world rankings. Kaymer thoroughly deserves his new status as the world's leading player, especially as his predecessor at number one, Lee Westwood, has started the season slowly. What better way to celebrate than to win his first WGC title?

Nevertheless, punters should be extremely wary of assuming that Kaymer is anything like an odds-on 'good thing' tonight. Indeed a closer look at those rankings shows that if Luke Donald wins tonight, the Englishman will himself rise to number three. It is the perfect illustration of golf's new order, where rather than one man dominating, any one of 10, maybe 20 or even 30 players are separated by a wafer-thin margin.

This final also presents the ideal opportunity to revisit the never-ending punting debate about the relationship between strokeplay and matchplay form. Frankly, if this were a strokeplay event in the desert, I'd be recommending a large bet on Kaymer. Whatever their rankings, choosing between a man with nine titles over the last three years, and another with only one during the last five years plus a plethora of final day failures, is a no-brainer.

Matchplay is different, however, especially over 18 holes. Some players clearly prefer this format, and Donald is the ultimate example. Luke has won his five matches this week by an incredible 22 hole aggregate margin, compared to 11 for Kaymer. He is the only player who hasn't at least endured a bad spell of holes, except perhaps when taking his foot off the gas against Manassero. Factor in Donald's previous record in this event, the Ryder Cup and even the Walker Cup as an amateur, and the Englishman has a strong claim to being the world's finest match player.

When the gap between the top players is so small in the first place, any match like this is going to be basically a toss of a coin affair. For that and the above reasons, my recommendation is to back Donald, although this is not a match for big stakes. Given how closely they are matched, the best strategy might be to lay whoever goes in front first.

The third place consolation match is equally hard to call. Bubba Watson has definitely been superior to Matt Kuchar over the week, but I wonder whether this inspirational player will be able to get his competitive juices flowing again so quickly after yesterday's marathon effort. Kuchar is a completely contrasting type of character, recently taking over from Jim Furyk as the PGA Tour's 'Mr Consistency', and rates a tentative pick.

Recommended bets

2pts Luke Donald @ [2.1] (vs Kaymer)
2pts Matt Kuchar @ [1.9] (vs Watson)

It's been a marathon week and the reduction of the final to just 18 holes has been welcomed by Paul Krishnamurty. But who will come out on top and seal the deal?...

Paul Krishnamurty looks ahead to today's quarter-finals and tells us why the mammoth hitting of Bubba Watson could mean he's last man standing....

While the big names fell yesterday, Paul's picks marched on. Will they be in the frame this time tomorrow?...

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