Taunton Placepot picks: Richard Birch takes aim at the £100,000 pool

The £100,000 guarantee makes Taunton’s Placepot an attractive bet on a day of mainly low-grade racing.

Bumper and maiden hurdle winner Ioupy Collonges graduates to handicaps on a mark of 117 for champion trainer Paul Nicholls in leg one (1.40). He looks banker material in a weak race.

Out Of Office, bought for £160,000 by Evan Williams last February, impressed when making all at Chepstow over Christmas to justify strong market favouritism. The son of Shirocco ought to follow up in leg two (2.10).

Atjima romped home over 2m4f at Ffos Las last time out. Welsh Grand National-winning rider David Prichard takes 5lb off, so an 8lb higher mark may not stop the Victor Dartnall-trained mare as she tackles a longer trip in leg three (2.45).

Brianna Rose, a solid third behind the well-handicapped Kepagge and mildly progressive Walkinthewoods at Ffos Las a fortnight ago, should also give a good account.

Doctor Ken and New Age Dawning are the pair to focus on in the feature 2m7f handicap chase (3.15), with Zambezi Fix selected to hit the frame in the 2m½f handicap hurdle (3.45) after last month's Chepstow win.

A first-time visor could help Fakenham and Leicester runner-up Auditoria in the final leg (4.15), and she is narrowly preferred to Kym Eyre.

Taunton Placepot perm

1.40
2 Ioupy Collonges              

2.10
2 Out Of Office                    

2.45
1 Brianna Rose
4 Atjima

3.15
1 Doctor Ken
5 New Age Dawning

3.45
3 Zambezi Fix

4.15
1 Kym Eyre
3 Auditoria

1x1x2x2x1x2 = 8 lines

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