Horse Racing: Betting Week

With lashing rain and gale-force winds taking their toll on the jumpers, it should have been a pleasant preamble to reflect on last year's Flat action with the publication of the World Thoroughbred Rankings this week. Instead, incredulity.

As if the proliferation of all-weather racing in this country wasn't bad enough, we are being asked to believe that the best horse in the world last year was a dirt performer, Invasor.

Grinding out a one-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic may be the stuff of champions, but I doubt it. Turf racing and that on all-weather surfaces should surely be kept firmly apart when assessing form and ability.

It was patently obvious that George Washington did not handle the dirt at Churchill Downs, or stay the extra two furlongs, when he could only finish sixth in the Classic. Abiding memories in an admittedly low-key year on the Flat was George's power-surge in the 2,000 Guineas and the brilliance of his Queen Elizabeth II Stakes win. However, in the three-year-old division George Washington is rated below two dirt performers in Bernardini and Discreet Cat. The true turf champions are being marginalised by a growing acceptance that dirt/all-weather racing is the norm. The latter should be kept in a separate box, marked "careful".

Any ratings assessment of the current crop of juvenile hurdlers will have Liberate near the top of the pile, and I think it is time to snap up the 16-1 available in a few places about Philip Hobbs's gelding for the Triumph Hurdle.

Liberate may have lost his unbeaten record at Kempton, but his second behind Poquelin under a 10lb penalty was certainly a smart effort. He had previously disposed of Zilcash and Predateur with ease at Wincanton, and that form stacks up.

Johnson White, assistant to Hobbs, said yesterday that Liberate is having a break but is "very fresh" and in good form. White also put in a good word for stablemate Tritonix, who has undergone a wind operation since finishing a well-beaten third behind Katchit at Cheltenham last month.

Ned Ludd, who was runner-up that day, was previously beaten 15 lengths by Tritonix at Huntingdon and has since finished a four-length second to Good Bye Simon in the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow. The form lines suggest Tritonix is somewhat over-priced at 33-1 for the Triumph and he also merits an ante-post wager.

It might be asking too much to expect Hobbs to repeat last year's Triumph 1-2 with Detroit City and Fair Along, but stranger things have happened.

Yesterday's publication of the weights for the Totesport Trophy at Newbury next month revealed the Hobbs-trained hurdler, Noble Request, at the head of affairs on 11st12lb. The early eye-catcher is Charlie Mann's useful novice, Moon Over Miami, a 16-1 chance with the sponsors. He looks well in with 10st2lb.

For the notebook


Pyleigh Lady 2m Wetherby

Fifth to Ringaroses at Ascot on her first start for Philip Hobbs, Pyleigh Lady travelled like the winner all the way up the home straight here, but her inexperienced amateur rider could not get the best out of her and the mare had to settle for second spot behind Clock House. Granted stronger handling, Pyleigh Lady looks capable of winning races from her current mark.

Ron Cox's tip of the day


Spanish Lace 1.10 Ludlow

A half-sister to the useful Dancing Bay, who runs in the following race, Spanish Lace won on the Flat when trained by Julie Camacho and looks the type to do well over hurdles for Nicky Henderson. The latter has a great record here, evidenced by stats in the Racing & Football Outlook which shows Henderson has had 13 first-time winners from just 25 Ludlow runners since 1997.