Haydock racing best bet (1330): Credo primed to turn the tables on Famous Bridge
Jumpers in action at Haydock Park
Nine runners compete for Haydock’s biggest prize of the day, and Tipstrr pundit Steve Jones has put his faith in a horse that has finished outside the top two just once in eight outings over fences.
13:30 Haydock: Betfred Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (3 miles 1½ furlongs)
Credo and Famous Bridge clashed in a valuable 10-runner Class 2 handicap over this course and distance late last month and was won by the latter, with Credo coming home a length behind and another of today’s main rivals, Eleanor Bob more than three length further back in fourth.
Famous Bridge very much got first run on Credo, who was doing some very good late work to finish more strongly than anything, but she had too much ground to make up on the winner despite closing him down all the way to the line.
The mare conceded a pound to Famous Bridge on that last occasion but this time she receives two pounds from him, as well as having more challenging ground in her favour because stamina is her strong suit.
She demonstrated this when landing a soft-ground handicap at Wincanton a month earlier, a gruelling 26.5-furlong test which she won by no less than 6.5 lengths from a field of staying handicappers rated up to 140.
Credo could have that winning effort marked up because it was her first outing for 192 days, plus she has only once finished out of the first two in her eight runs over fences, compiling figures of 21221412.
The mare then had a well-deserved rest after her fourth-placed finish and kickstarted her new campaign in winning style with her emphatic success at Wincanton.
That was a new career-best and her run behind Famous Bridge over this trip on her second start of the season was probably another improvement because she was seven pounds higher, so with the emphasis back on additional stamina today, she can peak once more to extend her progressive profile in this sphere.
Suggested bet: Credo in the 13:30 at Haydock
- Tip advised by Steve Jones who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr
Despite offering little in the way of value, Famous Bridge remains the biggest threat, having won his last two three-mile handicaps over fences, both of them coming on left-handed tracks with soft ground.
A winner of three of his last four in this sphere, with his only defeat during that spell coming over an inadequate 20.5 furlongs, there is surely more to come yet from this seven-year-old, and another big run looks on the cards.
Next best bet: Famous Bridge in the 13:30 at Haydock
READ MORE: Saturday ITV racing tips: Best bets for Ascot and Haydock on December 23
