16:45 Wetherby - 3m Class 3 Handicap Chase - Blakemount 5/2 1pt Win
With the four day weekend nearly upon us I'm hoping to get things off to a stormer with my selection today from Wetherby. Sue Smith's 10-year-old BLAKEMOUNT 5/2 lines up in the 3m Class 3 handicap chase at 16:45 after not being seen on a track since last April and I'm hoping this drop in class for today's race could prove telling.
It was up at Ayr in the Scottish Grand National when we last saw this son of Presenting when Blakemount produced a strong effort to finish 6th just 8 lengths off the winner Vicente. That piece of form over 4m in a Grade 3 contest is very strong for me and if he can be anywhere near the level he was that day, he should have the beating of these.
Many may be put off by the long lay off that this horse has had over the last year, (341 days). However, when we delve into his form we can see that this horse has three times come back from a break of 220 days or more with two second and one third-placed efforts.
He's the highest-rated horse in this race with a current mark of 131 after a career high 136. He's proved before that he is a stout stayer with plenty of good form over 3m or more. The going should not be an issue as he already has two wins on soft ground. He's also one of only two in this afternoon's race who have won at Wetherby before hand, although that was way back in November 2013.
Jockey Danny Cook will be doing the steering for Sue Smith and he's been excellent this year with 45 winners and when combining with Sue over the last five years the pair are (51/192) with a strike rate of 26.2%. With only seven runners lining up after Dueling Banjos was withdrawn, I'm going to advise a one point win at around the price of 5/2.