Tuesday Racing Tips: Feel free to back Libberty at Wincanton

There are four meetings across England on Tuesday, with the highlight coming from Wincanton courtesy of a Listed novice chase for mares.

Amongst our selections for the afternoon is a potentially useful novice chasers who was extremely unlucky last time – plus a horse looking to continue Venetia Williams’ excellent season.

12:50 Wincanton – Libberty Hunter @ 5/2

Sometimes it is obvious when a horse has just taken to chasing and is bound to leave their hurdles form well behind. That was the case when Libberty Hunter made his chasing debut at Chepstow 25 days ago. He was tanking all over the field for the first half of the straight, only to fall three out just as he was set to take the lead from Mr Grey Sky.

We should not judge a young chaser too harshly on one over-ambitious jump. The message from Libberty Hunter’s debut was pretty much all positive. As much as anything else, Mr Grey Sky, who went on to win the race, was coming in off a win himself. The time before he had left Forget The Way, one of today’s main dangers to the selection, trailing in his wake.

Libberty Hunter had some good form over hurdles, too. Admittedly, most of it came at Chepstow which is a starkly different track to Wincanton. Assuming he can be as comfortable here as he is just over the Anglo-Welsh border, he ought to be very hard to beat here.

13:50 Wincanton – Marsh Wren @ 4/1

Talking of fledgling chasers and the test provided by certain courses, one who pings their way around Warwick ought to be able to go anywhere. That is exactly why Marsh Wren is the mare with whom to take on favourite Arclight in the Lady Godiva Novices’ Chase, which has been rescued from a lost card at Warwick last week.

Marsh Wren won a novices’ handicap chase at Warwick last month, from the re-opposing Game On For Glory. There was not much between them that day, but now the winner gets to meet her old rival on better terms so she deserves to be seen as the likelier winner.

Arclight could just be too good. She is rated higher than Marsh Wren and will carry less here owing to the weight-for-age she receives as a four-year-old. The only caveat is that she has left little margin for error in her jumping. Wincanton has a tendency to catch out the unwary, especially at the crucial late fences which arrive thick and fast. Any blip from Arclight could be punished.

14:40 Fakenham – Georges Saint @ 9/4

Lucy Turner is not only one of the best amateurs around. On her day she would be among the top female riders in the country and so she is an asset to have on your side in races restricted to female riders such as this handicap chase.

Turner once again rides for Venetia Williams, on Georges Saint who is out to make it two in a row. His recent win came on his second chasing start for the yard, after he had won two of his four starts over fences in France.

Because of his form in France, Georges Saint does not have the option of novice events in this country but the race he won at Ffos Las had a novices’ handicap sort of make-up. Plenty of them were unexposed, with runner-up Walkinthewoods having an especially attractive profile. The two finished well clear of the rest that day and, for all Walkinthewoods has bombed out since, the form still seems strong.

Georges Saint has only gone up 5lb and, with Turners’ assistance, he can make it four wins from seven career starts over fences.