Go Bananas And Back Herbie At Exeter

First of all, I would like to wish all my readers a happy, and hopefully prosperous, New Year. 2016 finished on a bad note for us today, as Ruby Wilde was never sighted at Warwick, and it was a bitterly disappointing effort. The winner of the race finished a couple of places behind her last time out, and that added salt to the wound. At least she will get a mark now, and she could turn out to be well treated once she goes tackling handicaps.

Here's Herbie has an excellent record over timber at Exeter.

Tomorrow I like the look of Here's Herbie at Exeter for mother and daughter combination Sue and Lucy Gardner. They have an excellent record at their local track, and I think they may well have had this race in mind for Here's Herbie for some time. He made a pleasing enough return to action a couple of weeks ago at Hereford (16f soft), and he should come on bundles with that run under his belt.

He had an excellent season last year, going close at Cheltenham on his second run back and going on to win a couple of handicaps at Taunton in the Spring. The first of those two class 3 wins came on good to soft off a mark of 122, before he followed up over the same course and distance off a mark of 128. he produced another cracking run on his final start of last season at Worcester, beaten less than 2L in 3rd off a mark of 131.

He has been dropped back down to a rating of 129, just a pound above his last winning mark. He has plenty of form around Exeter, and he has won both handicap hurdle starts over course and distance (class 4 on heavy off 104 and class 3 on gd/sft off 114). He showed that this mark is well within his capabilities when placing off 2lb higher in June, and the usual tongue tie (left off last time) is back on. He will love the ground, trip and track will suit and, at odds of 16/1, he is a confident each way selection in a wide open race.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 1.15 EXETER HERE'S HERBIE E/W 16/1