Horse Racing

Exeter Expert Eye: Course stats and tips for Sunday's card

Nigel RidgwayNigel Ridgway12 February 2022
Dusart doubles his chase tally with easy Exeter verdict

Dusart doubles his chase tally with easy Exeter verdict

Anyone considering a punt at Exeter on Sunday would do well to give our expert eye piece a read first - it might just put you on a winner!

We've three outright picks, all handicappers at backable prices, and the Planet Sport Live Centre is where you will find the Exeter race card, which includes the latest form, trainers, jockeys and much more.

But before we delve into the picks, here are some useful course stats worth noting...

Course characteristics

Right-handed and undulating in nature. 2m circuit is laid out in a long oval. Conditions can get testing and the half-mile home straight, which is on the rise all the way to the finish line, places an emphasis on stamina.

Top trainers with runners

Dorset-based Colin Tizzard leads the way here with his 36 winners over the past five seasons coming at a strike rate of 17% (218 runners).

He has four chances to boost that tally this afternoon: The Widdow Maker (14.00), Triple Trade (14.30), West Orchard (14.30) and Elegant Escape (16.30).
Philip Hobbs lies a respectable second - 30 winners from 215 runners (14%) over the same period - and he's solely represented this afternoon by Jerrysback, who runs in the veterans' handicap chase (more on him further down the page).

Top jockeys with rides

Harry Cobden is the leading jockey here on 23 winners (133 rides, 17%), which is just three more than Tom Scudamore (167 rides, 12%).
Brendan Powell has steered home seven winners from 35 rides (20%) in the current season and he gets the leg up on three of the Tizzard-trained runners, with the exception of West Orchard.

16.00 Exeter - Midnight River

Dan Skelton's novice came good at the third time of asking over fences when gamely beating useful yardstick Pay The Piper at Wetherby last month, and he's fancied to go in again this afternoon.
A useful three-time winner over hurdles, he has always been thought of as more of a chaser and was frankly disappointing on his chase debut at Carlisle in October, when making far too many mistakes and eventually taking a heavy fall three out.
It was no surprise to see him revert to hurdles for a confidence booster on his next outing - he finished well beaten in an Aintree handicap - but he was far better in the jumping department when returned to fences last time, once again showing a terrific attitude to regain the lead on the run-in after being headed.
That will have done his confidence plenty of good and he can surely kick on over fences now, with today's right-handed track and likely soft ground (heavy rain is forecast) very much in his favour.

15.30 Exeter - Emmpressive Lady

This 2m7f Pertemps qualifier for the final at Cheltenham can go the way of bottom-weight Emmpressive Lady, who found plenty close home when scoring from a previous winner at Kempton in December on what was just her second try over staying trips, making it 3-7 over hurdles in the process.
There's very likely more to come from the seven-year-old mare and she clearly likes going right-handed as she has already won a novice here, a Sandown handicap and finished a close second behind the classy Molly Ollys wishes in a class 2 handicap also at Kempton.
Should the ground get testing - quite possible given the forecast - we'd fancy here even more as her best efforts have come on soft/heavy, and she hasn't had far to travel, being trained locally by Sue Gardner, who has the bulk of her winners at the track.

16.30 Exeter - Jerrysback

Philip Hobbs' ten-year-old has to be worth an interest on his first start in veterans' company having looked far from a back number on his last two outings in pretty hot company.
At Ascot two starts back, he was doing all his best work close home to finish third, and he ran well for a long way on his most recent outing in the Grade 3 Classic Chase over 3m5f at Warwick, where he finished a respectable fifth of the 15 runners.
The handicapper has kindly dropped him a further 3lb since to a mark of 133, which is 15lb lower than his peak rating as a novice, and this ease in grade can allow him to take advantage.
Any rain that falls will enhance his chances further as he's fully effective on deep ground and stays every yard of this 3m - he was third in the 2019 National Hunt Chase, then run over 4m - with the stable form (4-19 in the last fortnight) clinching the bet.

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