Announcements

AHEAD of an exciting card at Haydock, Betfair tipping expert, Tony Calvin, has shared insight on two horses that take to the course tomorrow.

15:15 – Colonial Dreams E/W 15:15 – Neverbeen To Paris E/W Tempted by Debece but I can just about pass In the 3m1f125yd handicap chase at 14:40 Debece may have three or four pace rivals to contend with if he attempts to go forward and dominate in the manner he did at Sandown on his stable debut last time.

I imagine Harry Skelton will try to dial it back a bit this time, as he looked to go too hard too early after taking it up at the sixth there - he can be a bit too gung-ho on the front end - and he was a sitting duck close home.

The handicapper actually upped him 2lb for that 4 1/2-length defeat but he remains a well-treated horse on the form he showed for Tim Vaughan, who loved him to bits, and he is the one to beat here. The early 5/1 in the marketplace late on Thursday morning was very fair.

Of the others, I quite liked Strictlyadancer after a wind op and in a first-time tongue-tie and blinkers. The trainer's last two runners when running in initial blinkers have won at 25/1 (Newlands Cross at Chepstow in February) and finished second at 12/1.

The problem is he is up to a career-high mark of 112 now, having been raised for his last two defeats, and his recent MOT will need to have brought about improvement against some better handicapped and in-form horses, with possibly stablemate Defuture Is Bright (a winner in first-time pieces last time) towards the top of that list. And I was hoping for bigger than 10/1, too.

It is rare for me to be drawn to a favourite but I was very tempted by Debece at around 4/1 on the exchange, especially as I think this better ground and sharper track will suit him, too. Oh, and the stable are apparently in fair nick as well.

But I resisted. Just. My main concern was that Sandown run was just too much of a lung-burster, and this is a horse who has needed time and patience in the past.

We can Dream about Paris in the 3m Handicap Hurdle If Republican stays every inch of the 3m58yd of the 15:15 then I think he could make a mockery of his 16/1+ price tag on the exchange as he is surely better than his mark of 120. The only problem is that I struggle to see his stamina not emptying out, even on decent ground around here.

I will be gutted if he proves me wrong - and I may chuck a score on him just in case he does, especially now his stable is in better form - but he is not among the two I am dutching here, both from the same recent Newbury race.

Colonial Dreams looked set to go on to decent things when beating the smashed-up Wait For Me (also a previous winner of that race) at Sandown on the final day of the season in 2019, showing a really good attitude to battle home that day.

He has clearly had his problems since, doing nothing in his next two starts after a lengthy absence, and trailing home last of the finishers as a 50/1 chance at Newbury in November after another long break.

However, the seeds of recovery were there for all to see in the Newbury race which Regarding Ruth ran away with last month (the winner is in here off an 8lb higher mark, and the runner-up Iwilldoit re-opposes as well) and hopefully he is ready to belatedly fulfil the promise of that Sandown victory.

He went off at 33/1 at Newbury and the most pleasing aspect of the performance was the manner in which he finished off his race, having trailed most of the field turning in. If he comes forward again then he is a big player here, off a mark just 2lb higher than Sandown.

Back him at 10/1 each-way, five places, with the Betfair Sportsbook. The opening 12s went on Thursday but I am happy with 10/1 with the extra place.

I certainly hope that Newbury race is the key to this puzzle - though not via the first two home, who were favoured by racing with up the pace that day - as I am also backing the horse that finished sixth there, Neverbeen To Paris, each-way at 25/1, too.

All the indications are that it is a strong piece of form, as the time was very good and the fifth gave the form a boost when second to a progressive sort at Southwell on Wednesday.

Now, Neverbeen To Paris' trainer Harry Whittington has pretty much had a season to forget but he had a double at Sedgefield last week and this horse probably needed his first start since November when sixth at Newbury.

I know nothing of the 7lb claimer Alan Doyle, other than his bare stats - though I had a look at a couple of his recent rides and he looked okay - but I think he is on a fairly handicapped horse and one who is 100% at home on good ground.

For more information, please visit: https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/en/horse-racing-betting-7