Horsebetting.com’s Wetherby betting tips for November 2 look at a fabulous Friday card at the West Yorkshire venue. Storm Rising is massively well-in to the 2m handicap hurdle and thus rates the NAP of this six-race card. King D’argent is a course and distance winner, so is a great value bet the competitive feature race, the Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle. Cracking Find, meanwhile, appeals each-way in the Listed handicap chase. Learn more about why these horses are worth a wager in our preview of the card and Wetherby betting tips for November 2.Storm Rising well-in for Wetherby successStorm Rising ran out a ready and impressive winner of a conditional jockeys’ race at Cheltenham last week, so looks chucked in at the weights now quickly turned out again in the 2m handicap hurdle at Wetherby on Friday (15:40). Trained by Dr Richard Newland, the handicapper has put the five-year-old up a whopping 14lb for that facile four lengths success over the handy Magic Dancer, but he races off his previous mark of 123 in this.
That was a debut win for his current handler and, given new jockey Charlie Hammond could only claim 3lb against fellow conditionals, Storm Rising is 19lb well-in here. This is because his rider is now allowed to take a full 5lb allowance off his back. It gives him very strong claims of following-up and making it two from two for his current stable.
Storm Rising was previously trained by Denis Hogan in Ireland, where he won two and placed in four other starts in 16 previous career outings over hurdles. Those victories include off top weight in a competitive Galway Festival handicap under Barry Geraghty over the summer.
This is another class 3 – the same level at which Storm Rising travelled strongly throughout around Prestbury Park and led two out when quickening smartly clear. Provided this does not come too soon, he has absolutely everything going for him, so rates the NAP in our Wetherby betting tips for November 2.King D’argent is Wensleydale valueDan Skelton has become the fastest trainer to land 100 winners in a jumps season, surpassing Martin Pipe’s record at Cheltenham last week. He also does really well with his runners at this venue, so his King D’argent looks worth a wager to follow-up on a course and distance win in the Listed 2m Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (14:30).
It’s Skelton mentor Nicholls that usually does well in this event, but the Ditcheat handler doesn’t have a runner in this year’s renewal. In King D’argent, the West Midlands based trained has an unexposed sort compared to some of his more established rivals here and brings some interesting Flat form to the National Hunt sphere.
Previously trained by Ger Lyons, King D’argent was beaten just 4 1/2 lengths into fourth by Hunting Horn on his second start under rules as Naas in April. The winner went on land the Grade 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the runner-up was none other than subsequent Irish Derby hero Latrobe.
Although then well-beaten by Southern France at Leopardstown, King D’argent was far from disgraced when runner-up Cypress Creek confirmed that form next time up at Ballinrobe. While he improved to be beaten just over five lengths, the winner went on to land the 2m Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes at Naas in September.
That all suggested King D’argent would make into a National Hunt horse and Team Skelton got him to break the maiden tag when scoring on hurdling debut over course and distance 16 days ago. He jumped into a narrow lead three out and was pushed clear in between the last two flights before riding out at 3 1/4 lengths winner.
This is a good deal more competitive with Crack Factory for Alan King and major owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede already given an official rating of 138. Both he and Gordon Elliott’s Irish raider Chief Justice look relatively exposed, however, and on Racing Post figures there isn’t much more improvement needed from King D’argent to make the frame.
With the prospect of more to come, he has to be respected mixing it in Listed company for the first time. King D’argent is thus a solid bet among the Wetherby betting tips for November 2 on offer in the feature race.Smith may have a Cracking each-way FindWhile Paul Nicholls’ Copain De Classe looks a worthy favourite to landed the Listed handicap chase over an extended 2m 3f (15:05), local handler Sue Smith saddles two in search of the spoils. Off bottom weight, there looks to be each-way value in backing Cracking Find for the frame.
This seven-year-old is a point winner, who had landed three of his 10 chase starts and placed in five others. Cracking Find has won over the trip and goes well at the venue, having finished in the frame twice before.
Those runs include when a 4 1/2 lengths runner-up to Theflyingportrait over 1m 7f last time out. That is a little on the sharp side for Cracking Find, who was hampered by a faller but stayed on and pulled 12 lengths clear of the third home.
With the step back up in trip sure to suit, he sneaks into this off a nice racing weight of 10st 4lb. In receipt of weight all-round from his nine rivals, it would take a career best from Cracking Find to win this but, with question marks over plenty of the opposition, an each-way punt at the double figure prices on offer is why he’s taken to finish in the first three.Your Next Bet
