The Exeter betting tips for October 23 given by Horsebetting.com experts say trainer Philip Hobbs and jockey Richard Johnson have outstanding claims of a quick-fire double. Sternrubin rates the NAP of this six-race card in the feature Best Mate Beginners’ Chase. He is taken to break his maiden tag over fences, while stablemate Earth Moor is fancied for a winning hurdles debut. In the 15-runner handicap hurdle earlier on Tuesday’s card, Thomas Blossom looks each-way value to defy top weight. Read more about the action in this preview of the card and our Exeter betting tips for October 23.Sternrubin may be Hobbs and Johnson’s Best MateGood-to-firm ground at Exeter means the feature Best Mate Beginners’ Chase on Tuesday (16:20) is reduced to a match. Sternrubin was second in this 12 months ago to the useful Yanworth, so is taken to go one better and beat sole rival Cotton Jenny at the Devon venue.
Trained by Philip Hobbs, the seven-year-old son of Authorized is officially rated 17lb better than his opponent and, although the mare benefits from a 7lb sex allowance, on all known form that doesn’t look anywhere near enough to bridge the gap. Sternrubin has had just two starts over fences and finished second on both occasions.
A smart hurdler rated 145 at his peak, some of his back form in that sphere is very good. He twice chased home Neil King stable star Lil Rockerfeller in juvenile handicaps over the smaller obstacles before winning a maiden hurdle here on Sternrubin’s first start of the 2015-16 campaign.
That season he went on to land the Gerry Feilden at Newbury from John Constable and later outran odds of 33/1 to finish a six-length third in the ultra competitive Grade 3 County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Sternrubin also won on reappearance during the following campaign at Listed level and was relatively successful on the Flat last summer before going chasing.
A tendency to jump right is no problem at this venue as that’s the way round horses go. Given Sternrubin was rated 20lb inferior to Yanworth for this race 12 months ago, it’s to his credit that he stuck to the task well under Richard Johnson and was beaten only two lengths.
The winner also went on to land a Grade 2 at Cheltenham and had previously won two Grade 1s over hurdles, so to only fade after the last was a huge effort. Although then beaten 29 lengths by Dolos next time up at Ascot, Sternrubin was tackling the 2m 3f trip for the first time and was still well clear of the other horse to finish.
It leaves the impression that with patience and further schooling, Sternrubin could have more to offer over fences. Reverting back to hurdles at the back end of last season didn’t really work, but he looks well worth another crack over the larger obstacles here.
Cotton Jenny has yet to get her head in front in seven chase assignments, including five before joining current trainer Evan Williams. On all known form, and a repeat of last year’s performance in this race, it’s Sternrubin who can make it third lucky over fences. He is therefore our NAP among the Exeter betting tips for October 23.Earth Moor appeals most in maiden hurdleAnother Hobbs inmate is Earth Moor, who contests the five-runner class 4 maiden hurdle (15:50). The four-year-old makes his bow over the obstacles here, having won the last of his four bumper runs and been second on two previous occasions.
After finishing fourth on debut at Wincanton, Earth Moor stayed on well to chase home the well-regarded Paul Nicholls trained Rhythm Is A Dancer here back in May. Although beaten eight lengths, he was then a two-length runner-up to Fortunes Hiding at Worcester.
Johnson then kept Earth Moor up to his work to score by four lengths at Fontwell just 17 days ago. The fact that connections are turning him out over hurdles so quickly suggests that a big run is expected, and this looks an easy opener for him.
With his four rivals looking to have plenty to find on what form there is, Earth Moor is another of our Exeter betting tips for October 23. He is thus our next best bet on a day when trainer and jockey have three live chances, the third being Bradford Bridge in the staying handicap hurdle.Thomas Blossom an each-way betThe most competitive race of the day is the amateur riders’ handicap hurdle over an extended 2m (15:20), and Thomas Blossom looks each-way value despite having to shoulder top weight as now he is now 5lb below his last winning mark.
The eight-year-old landed this race two years ago when rated 104. Thomas Blossom is by Dylan Thomas and a Sadler’s Wells mare, but hasn’t been the most straightforward to train and spent much of his career on the Flat rather than over jumps.
Everything dropped right with him when winning the 2016 renewal after taking things up three out and keeping on well. All Joshua Newman, who takes 3lb off Thomas Blossom for his claim, had to do was push him out to score by a length.
The fact he seems to go better right-handed is an obvious plus, and connections have given him recent spins on the all-weather at Kempton and then on turf at Nottingham. If those has blown away any cobwebs, then Thomas Blossom is fit and has claims of making the frame from a handicapping perspective.Your Next Bet
