A Chancy Friday Fancy

Shabras Bertolini unfortunately failed to deliver the goods yesterday, and it seems my fears about the jockey booking proved to be well founded. First of all he missed the start, which was a disaster, as on all the horses best runs he has raced in a prominent position. When he did try to move into position in the back straight he ran into the back of a couple of horses, and a few those behind him swept by, as he got shuffled right back to the rear of the pack as they turned into the home straight.When he did eventually find daylight it was all to late, and he stormed through the field in the home straight to finish an unlikely ninth, gaining about ten places in the last 250 yards. Definitely one for the notebook, and well capable of making an impact off his current mark once the jockey issue is addressed.
Friday is, in the main, unappealing from a punting point of view, with Faugheen looking a mere formality in the big race of the day. The hunter chases, the novice events and the bumper also look best left alone, and the race I have found an angle in is the mares handicap chase.
The horse I like the look of in this heat is not one for the faint hearted. In fact, if you are currently on medication for any cardiac related ailments I would recommend you stop reading now...
However, if you are a fan of base jumping, skydiving or any other adrenaline inducing activity then this is the tip for you. My use of base jumping and skydiving as examples is not by accident either, as this horse is prone to try to defy gravity too, and the jockey may be well advised to pack a parachute down the back of his britches.
Anyway, as you might have guessed by now, the horse I like tomorrow, The Housekeeper, has had jumping issues. Some pretty serious ones in fact.  However, if she manages to put in a clear round today I think she has the ability to go close. Despite the obvious negatives, there are some glimmers of light breaking through the clouds. Chief among them is her mark of 116. I would imagine her very shrewd trainer was doing cartwheels when he heard that news. My reason for thinking this is that it looks very lenient on the back of her decimation of a couple of useful types in a hurdle race last year in Down Royal. She had Taglietelle 10l behind her that day,in receipt of 7lbs, and  he has since won a top quality handicap hurdle at Aintree off 145 and also placed at Cheltenham. Quickasyoucan was a further 10l behind, and has since won a handicap off 122. The 4th that day has also won since off 115. The case from a handicapping point of view is compelling. Her trainer declared after the race that 'she'll be some mare to jump a fence'... Hopefully they are not famous last words!
I do have hope for her jumping though.She took a crashing fall on her chase debut when holding every chance, and then was given a break.  I was there at Navan  the day she had her comeback run and finished sixth behind Vautour beaten 44l. However, it was over 2 miles, which is too sharp, and she tried to go with Vautour early on. She followed him a few lengths behind in a clear 2nd up until about half a mile from home. She actually jumped pretty well that day considering the pace she was going and bar one or two sticky jumps I thought it was a very encouraging run. She looked out on her feet when coming to grief on her last chase run, and had jumped well up until that point.
She has been given a couple of runs over the smaller obstacles since, both around Punchestown interestingly, and was never sighted at massive prices both times. I would imagine these runs over hurdles were designed to restore her confidence and sweeten her up before returning to exploit her lenient chase mark in handicaps. She has had a break of 72 days, which is also a positive, given that her best runs have come when fresh.  David Harry Kelly knows how to ready one, the trip looks right, the drying ground is in her favour so IF her jumping holds up I can see her running a big race. Perhaps the faller insurance offered by some bookmakers mightn't be the worst idea if you are considering backing her. Paddy Powers are paying first four places e/w too.

Selection: The Housekeeper e/w 25/1 (1st 4 places Paddy Power)