Today's best bets and the latest news, plus day four of our weekly tipping competition
Lee ignores numbers game
Graham Lee was pleased to be celebrating Posh Bird's first success, whether or not it represented a career milestone, at Catterick on Thursday.
The nine-year-old mare, having her second start for Peter Niven, chose the North Yorkshire Grand National to break her duck, battling home from the final flight to beat Cool Mission.
The champagne was on ice to celebrate the 1,000th winner of Lee's riding career, but the jockey was unsure about the situation and, to be blunt, not impressed by all the fuss.
"It's very, very confusing and I think I'd rather just get on and ride the winners rather than worrying too much about it," he said.
"I was told that I was on 993 winners at the start of today, including my two winners on the Flat, but I don't know whether that includes those I rode in Ireland and I could even have ridden my 1,000th at Newcastle last week.
"Whenever I did it or do it, I couldn't have done it without all the horses who helped me and all the trainers and owners who gave me rides."
Niven, another of the elite group of jockeys to have ridden 1,000 winners over jumps, said: "This mare was trained by Iain Ferguson in Northern Ireland, but she was often coming over here to run and the owner, who I have known for about 30 years, sent her to me.
"The plan was for her to run at Ayr last week and win this under a penalty but having driven for 450 miles and got to within 20 minutes of the track, the meeting was abandoned because of the wind. At least this more than makes up for that disappointment."
12:30pm Cooper gets record ban
The amateur rider Robert Cooper made unwanted racing history on Thursday when he was handed a record 52-day suspension for breaching the whip rules.
Cooper, who only recently returned to the saddle after a 10-year hiatus, said he was "gutted" by the decision of the disciplinary panel at the British Horseracing Authority headquarters in London.
"They said I didn't give him enough time to respond after the last hurdle," he said. "But I've always said that when you have it [the whip] in the backhand position as I did, you're obviously not going to be as forceful.
"When they said 52 days, I wanted to chuck my licence at them, but that's racing. Rules are rules and you can't break them. You've got to take it on the chin and come back and be better."
Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
Can it really already be time for the North Yorkshire National at Catterick? It seems only yesterday that General Hardi came from nowhere to beat Star Beat and According To Pete. Doesn't ring any bells? Well, you must remember the previous stirring successes of Lucky Nellerie, Bang And Blame and Prince Of Slane? Surely it's all coming back now?
OK, it might not be the most prestigious of all the many copycat "Grand Nationals", but I do have a soft spot for Catterick's attempt to get in on the action. Indeed, in 2007 when Bang And Blame outbattled Classic Capers by a short head, I watched the race on television from the God's Solution Bar over a soothing ale and enjoyed the additional entertainment of an in-running punter calling the result to his mate over the phone so that they could make millions together.
"Classic," he shouted as they touched down over the last. "No! Bang. Bang. No, Classic. Classic. Definitely Classic. Classic. No! Bang! Bang! Bang! How much? Shit." Ah, the in-running game. It can make fools of us all.
David Pipe was understandably affronted when I suggested to him on Wednesday that he hadn't had a runner at Catterick before, reminding me that he has trained a winner at every British jumps course.
Nevertheless, he isn't a regular visitor to North Yorkshire and it looks highly significant to see Shaking Hands (2.15) sent all the way up for the race. He was a very solid third over a shorter trip at Wincanton last time out, having previously been mugged in the final strides over four miles at Exeter.
Three and three-quarter miles on soft ground should be ideal for Shaking Hands and it's Tom Scudamore's only ride of the day.
Martin Todhunter is well on course for his best season for a while after another winner at Doncaster on Wednesday and his Cavite Eta must be high on the shortlist for the Leeds Handicap Hurdle after catching the eye at the track last time out.
However, narrow preference is for Turbolinas (2.45), he caught the flailing Bagsy's Bridge when producing a determined late challenge at Wetherby on Boxing Day.
Kate Walton said afterwards that she felt he was only just beginning to grow up and despite an 8lb rise in the weights, I think he'll go well again today under 5lb-claimer Lucy Alexander, who continues to impress.
The handicapper has been constrained with the action he is able to take against Pearl Rebel, an impressive debut winner despite a slow start in a moderate maiden at Kempton (4.45) last month, because he defeated only very moderate rivals.
Strongly supported, he was coming home strongly that day and should be suited by this move up in trip to seven furlongs at the same track.
Tipping competition ? day four
Never has a Peter Grayson-trained winner been so celebrated on these pages as Wednesday's 14-1 scorer Vhujon, who was picked by many of you. Presumably you all made packets at the bookies too. In fact, running the figures through the Talking Horses computer I can see that a lot of you ended the day with a tidy profit one way or another, but it's still Copshaw clear at the head of the standings as he too found Vhujon and is now streets clear with a tasty �24.75 profit.
Those of you who complained about the faulty abacus ? JahLion, tom1977, William36 and Mulldog ? have all had your scores amended to take your missing winners from Tuesday into account. Apologies. The relevant member of staff will be dealt with most severely.
This week's prize is a copy of The Betting Edge, the latest book by David Lee-Priest, author of the Against The Odds series of books. It's a guide to improving your betting, the blurb promising sections on "strategy, psychology, money management, spread betting, the exchanges, and practical recommendations to help you win money".
Today, if you can shake off the midweek malaise (and I share your concerns over the Saturdayifying of this great game, Harrytheactor et al) we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 2.15 Catterick, 2.45 Catterick and 3.05 Fontwell.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of �1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Standings after day three
Copshaw +24.75
colerainefan +14
Shrewdette +14
wiggy12 +13
waltersobchak +13
curlycov +13
aledrhyswyn +10.75
Sportingchad +9.75
SussexRH +9.75
manni +8.75
Mulldog +8.75
Slackdad38 +8.25
lonewolfmcquaid +8
MISTERCHESTER +8
goofs +7.25
Dangalf +7
Moidadem +6.75
factormax +6
melonk +6
spudpt +6
twig28 +5
William36 +5
Lindsey6677 +5
savoieblue +2.75
spiller +2.75
AlexCook +1.75
suckzinclee +1.75
Smidster +1.75
JahLion +1.75
chanleyman +1.75
Thewrongtree +0.25
londonpatrick -0.75
Oli2702 -1
jaygee1 -1
Fixxxer -1
Gforce1 -2
tom1977 -2
Rivercity -3.50
davo10 -4.50
JimmyDeuce -5
SmokingGun1 -5.25
Ellandback -5.25
ToffeeDan1 -5.25
15244 -5.25
Ormrod76 -5.25
MauriceNL -9
matzov -9
natwho -9
paragoncup -9
xwireman -9
millreef -9
sangfroid -9
chiefhk -9
unfaircomment -9
diegoisgod -9
chris1623 -9
orso -9
MrWinnersSonInLaw -9
Blitzwing -9
carl31 -9
Moscow08 -9
Mai11 -9
tanias -9
VolleVlug -9
Lameduck -9
mmmdanish -9
coma88 -9
TL127 -9
steve084 -9
Harrytheactor -9
glavintoby -9
sandiuk -9
Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jan/12/talking-horses-tipping-competition
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