Dave Metcalf has over 35 years of experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a life-long horse racing and football fan, and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR frontman for major betting firm Betfred.
Dave has written for At The Races, provided betting previews for the 2010 World Cup via a website he owned. It was the first time they had covered any football event. He also appeared weekly on Sing When You’re Winning – football and general sports betting show on MUTV to provide odds and tips alongside former Manchester United striker Lou Macari.
Impressive course and distance winner can follow-up
The form of the race in which Manuela De Vega impressed when scoring last time out has worked out well, so she very much looks the one to be on in the extended 1m 3f Group 2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on Sunday (14:40).
After winning both her juvenile starts, she was a fine runner-up to Mehdaayih in the Cheshire Oaks over at Chester on her first start last season.
Manuela De Vega then ran a cracker in the Epsom Oaks when denied a clear run and finishing a 2 1/2 lengths fourth to Anapurna.
The daughter of Lope De Vega backed that up with a solid keeping on fifth to Star Catcher in the Irish equivalent of the Classic contest at The Curragh.
Manuela De Vega went on to round off the campaign with an excellent nose second to Nacho in a Group 1 at Munich in Germany, and looked better than ever when making a winning reappearance over this course and distance last month.
That success came in the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes where she made all and stayed on strongly to win unchallenged by two lengths from Fanny Logan.
Manuela De Vega never looked in danger at any stage and, although she was receiving 5lb from the runner-up, the form has been franked as that one has since landed the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot impressively.
The front two also pulled well clear of the third home, so there was nothing not to like about the way in which Manuela De Vega got the job done.
A repeat of that effort is going to make here hard to beat. At 9/4 with Unibet, Manuela De Vega is thus a strong fancy to go in again.
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Dame Malliot hails from the in-form yard of Ed Vaughan and is joint top-rated with Manuela de Vega, so rates the main danger.
This lightly-raced daughter of Champs Elysees has won three of her five starts and is two from two over the Lancashire Oaks trip.
After shaping as if needed the run when second on seasonal reappearance last year at Chelmsford, Dame Malliot impressively landed a Listed contest at Newmarket when running on strongly from off the pace to win going away by five lengths from the re-opposing Spirit Of Appin.
She then showed a good attitude to beat Love So deep by a head in a Group 2 at Deauville last August, reeling in the runner-up close home to score a shade cosily.
That taking success saw Dame Malliot sent off a heavily-backed favourite to complete the hat-trick in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster when stepped up to 1m 6f for the first time.
However, she failed to live up to expectations and trailed in a well-beaten sixth of eight to last year;s Lancashire Oaks heroine Enbihaar.
Dame Malliot is far better than what she showed that day and the drop back in trip is an obvious plus.
She appeals as the type that may well have more to offer this season and Walker is operating at a strike rate of 22 per cent in the last 14 days at the time of writing.
Dame Malliot is therefore unlikely to be found out by lack of fitness. She can be backed at 8/1 with Boylesports to make a winning return to action.
Hereby another interesting Lancashire Oaks contender for Beckett
As well as Manuela De Vega, Newmarket handler Ralph Beckett saddles another very interesting contender in the shape of Hereby.
This four-year-old daughter of Pivotal only made her racecourse debut in May of last year, but progressed at a rate of knots to win five of her next six outings.
After showing a willing attitude to score by narrow margins at Chester and Pontefract, Hereby romped to a facile success in a class 3 handicap at Chester when making all and forging clear to beat Gabriel The One by four lengths.
It was a most taking and authoritative display and one which saw connections pitch here into Listed company on her final start of the campaign.
That came in the Noel Murless Stakes over 1m 6f at Ascot, and Hereby took the step up in class in her stride to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths from Sapa Inca.
It was a performance which suggested she was well worth a crack at this level. Hereby also has her optimum conditions here.
While she does have 14lb to find on ratings with Manuela De Vega and Dane Malliot, given her progressive profile, it would be folly to underestimate her chances. At 10/1 with Betfair, Hereby looks a bit of each-way value.
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