Hereford afternoon racing tips: Best bets for Thursday, January 4

Hurrah, Hereford survived a Wednesday morning inspection so we can get cracking with some details on our selected horses.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if the favourite (inc. joint) wins, get a £5 Free Bet

 

12:58 (Hereford) Ede’iffs Rock

Libor Lad looks likely to be sent off as the short-priced favourite, which is hardly surprising as he is the only last-time-out winner in the 12-strong field, having backed up a couple of close-up seconds with a cosy win in heavy going at Uttoxeter in late November.

He is penalised six pounds for that success, which could bring hope to Joe Tizzard’s Talimar Pearl, who is looking for an overdue visit to the winner’s circle after finishing runner-up on each of his last three starts, the latest of which came on a promising season debut at Fontwell three weeks ago.

With four places widely available each-way options abound, with Leland worthy of consideration if top weight does not prove too heavy a burden, while Ede’iffs Rock could well out-run her double-digit price after placing on all of her last five starts.

While Silver Atom is also an interesting each-way punt.

 

13:28 (Hereford) Goblet Of Fire

Goblet Of Fire is given another chance to show he has a decent future over jumps in the Best Odds Guaranteed At PlanetSportBet Juvenile Maiden Hurdle.

The son of Saxon Warrior won three of his last four Flat races for Nigel Tinkler before joining Nicky Henderson and was a well-backed second favourite for his National Hunt debut at Sandown.

Having set the pace with market leader Castelfort, Goblet Of Fire faded out to finish fourth behind that victor after fluffing the second last, but that was on heavy ground and he is worth sticking with for now.

 

13:58 (Hereford) Lightening Mahler

Melusine De Pail sets a solid standard in the first division of the Download The PlanetSportBet App Mares’ Maiden Hurdle after placed efforts at Ludlow and Lingfield but Lightening Mahler could be a fly in the ointment.

She impressed when quickening clear to land an Irish point-to-point last April and the next three home that day all went on to win between the flags afterwards.

Lightening Mahler looked a good buy at £72,000 when subsequently put through the sales ring and is in good hands with Dan Skelton.

 

14:28 (Hereford) Betty’s Tiara

Stratford bumper winner Betty’s Tiara faced tough tasks under a penalty in hot contests at Aintree and Cheltenham.

But Ben Pauling’s charge could find the company in Download The Planetsportbet App Mares Maiden Hurdle the far more conducive again in the second division.

The six-year-old is preferred over Kit's Coty who produced a good effort when fourth in a maiden hurdle at Exeter.

It’s tough to ignore the claims of Dromlac Jury given he looked set to play a major role when falling at the last attempting his point-to-point in March.

After Many Days might feature from an each-way perspective.

 

14:58 (Hereford) Invincible Nao

Invincible Nao is backed to maintain Gary Moore’s fine run of form by landing the Read Harry Cobden’s Blog At PlanetSportBet Handicap Chase at Hereford.

The six-year-old did not exactly set the world alight after switching to West Sussex on the back of an easy victory at Auteuil, with a hefty price tag of €155,000.

However, there were some more encouraging signs during the second half of last season, with a placed effort at Huntingdon followed up by a decent staying-on fourth at Kempton.

Invincible Nao was nibbled at in the betting prior to his chasing debut in mid-November but looked in need of that outing, making some headway from the rear before not being knocked about late on.

There was a lot to like about his next effort at Lingfield later that month, though, when competitive throughout and finishing a close third behind Passing Well and Heva Rose.

That winner has since run well enough in a higher grade at Newbury and the second went one better in a valuable mares’ event at this venue next time out, so the form appears rock-solid.

 

15:28 (Hereford) M'Lady May

Any favourite backers will struggle to get better than even money on Venetia Williams’ strongly-backed Hill Of Tara, who has beaten all but one of his rivals in his four outings since returning from a seven-month break in November.

His short price gives the market a top-heavy look, and with four places readily available, there will be a few less-fancied starters who have attracted some attention among Tipstrr’s each-way specialists believing that one of the rank outsiders looks overpriced at hefty odds.

 

Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Hill Of Tara wins by more than 5 lengths, get a £5 Free Bet

 

The 10-year-old M’Lady May looks an interesting contender in this low-grade staying handicap hurdle.

She has only raced 12 times, including six in point-to-points, and did remarkably well to come back from a three-year absence to win two such outings after only her second run back from injury.

Prior to that enforced layoff she had run fairly well in maiden hurdles over two and two-and-a-half miles, postmarking a high of 93 and running well enough on her handicap debut to finish a 16-length fourth of 10 off 95 (postmark 91).

M’Lady May made her seasonal reappearance recently and ran well for a long way in heavy going at Exeter before looking to blow up in the home straight.

Bearing in mind she improved to win her second point-to-point run after that long layoff, it's worth keeping faith with her, plus Shane Quinlan is a handy jockey upgrade and able to claim three pounds to net her mark down to just 79 - a very nice mark after being previously posted consistently in the 90s.

Her two wins were around right-handed tracks on soft ground, so today’s trip should suit her and it seems amazing that she is still available as high at 66/1 with extra places available in this 12-runner race. 

Only time will tell if that betting value is real, but she certainly seems capable of outrunning those odds and worthy of a cautious each-way dabble.

 

15:58 (Hereford) File Illico

With the top seven in the market separated by just three betting point, the current 4/1 favourite Natty Night looks somewaht vulnerable and his support is possibly based more on the form of Venetia Williams’ yard than of the prospects of the eight-year-old.

Of the other market principals appear to bring better credentials to post, with Mel Rowley’s Martalmix’jac looking in top shape after a couple of cracking near-miss seconds in December, just two months after a tidy win at Stratford 

 

Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Martalmix'jac wins, get a £5 Free Bet

 

Amalfi Skyline looks a little more effective on chasing debut last month than he had in four disappointing hurdle outings, although our final nod goes to Jonjo O’Neill’s File Illico, who won four times over fences in an eye-catching 2021/22 campaign.

The nine-year-old has failed to extend that sparkling form, but while he was pulled up in the heavy ground at Leicester last time out before Christmas, he had jumped boldly enough until that point to suggest he could be moving back in the right direction.

Significantly, his mark is dropping like a stone, to the point where he is currently 34 pounds lower than just after his last win ten outings ago, and sooner or later he will surely find himself back on the winning side of his handicap again.

For anyone out there who prefers bigger odds, then it’s worth noting that a number of Tipstrr’s more established each-way pundits have gravitated towards the bottom-weight Ocean’s Of Money.

Nikki Evans’ eight-year-old mare remains a maiden after 13 attempts under rules, so appears to have little going for him in terms of form, plus he is four pounds out of the handicap.

However, jockey Ben Jones boasts a 50 percent place rate from nearly 400 rides over fences, and having landed a winner here last month and ridden Shakem Up’arry to victory in the New Year’s Day Chase at Cheltenham, maybe he can succeed where others have failed.

 

Hereford selections in full:

HEREFORD: 12.58 Ede’iffs Rock, 1.28 Goblet Of Fire, 1.58 Lightening Mahler, 2.28 Betty’s Tiara, 2.58 Invincible Nao, 3.28 M'Lady May, 3.58 File Illico