Exeter each-way tips: Only Fools poised to rush in, Call Me Sainte could surprise at huge odds
14:20 Exeter: Extra Places Every Day at Betway Handicap Hurdle (2 miles 161 yards)
Barely a full betting point covers the top three in the market, with the Skelton yard’s Major Fortune just about topping the bill after an encouraging season debut at Bangor last month, and he is likely to improve as he turns to handicaps.
Danton and Imperial Measure are the other two principals expected to run him closest, but at a best-price 4/1 between the three of them, none of them appear to hold as much appeal as some of the less-fancied runners in this big-field contest that might just spring a surprise or two.
Only Fools had a few near misses during the summer and could well be there or thereabouts again here, and he looks a tempting double-digit price off a favourably dropping mark.
However, it is one of the rank outsiders who has caught the eye of Tipstrr each-way specialist Richard Hutchinson, whose Read Between The Lines service guided us to a 14/1 winner on Tuesday, and whose tip analysis for this race is below.
The six-year-old Call Me Sainte has not exactly set the world alight in his one NH flat race, three maiden hurdles, nor on his handicap debut, where his best postmark to date is just 75.
He was always going to be a handicap project and has been given quiet, educational rides by Nigel Hawke who is adept at getting his mediocre horses nicely handicapped to get a few low-grade wins.
Call Me Sainte wasn’t helped by the 712-day gap between his second and third maiden hurdle, and it was that run that caught the eye as he travelled well, but was kept way off the pace, taking a wide trip, before making decent headway coming into the home straight.
He was not ridden out and just cruised up the home straight finishing 34 length 9th of 14 – postmarking his best 75.
Now whatever he did there he was surely bound to be improved upon in the future, but he faded on his next and final outing, although a subsequent wind op suggests the was a good reason behind that poor performance off 79.
Today he makes his seasonal debut off a mark of just 72 and we know he runs well fresh, so the fact he will only have to run to around 80 to place and maybe a little more to win, he looks well capable of running to that.
Consequently, the 33/1 looks decent enough to be worthy of a cautious outsider punt, especially with five places readily available, and as many as six if you shop around.
