Wincanton Placepot picks: Paul Kealy attempts to grab a slice of the £100k guaranteed pool

I think I'll play it safe in the opening leg (1.30) of the Placepot at Wincanton as I don't like many of the runners and the two last-time-out winners Stormy Flight and Windance look very much the ones to beat.

We probably need only one in the next (2.05), and with French filly Sniper Point having some fair form in France and getting plenty of weight from Walk Of No Shame, she gets the nod. Her BHA mark of 119 suggests she has plenty in hand at the weights.

The following 3m handicap hurdle (2.40) is a difficult puzzle to solve, but I came down on the side of Hatos and Island Run. The former's hurdles mark, untested in that sphere, has fallen 6lb thanks to him not really taking to fences, while Island Run shaped well in a pair of 3m runs before the new year.

The maiden hurdle (3.15) doesn't look too competitive and the vote goes to Impact De Bonheur, who hit the first two in all three starts in France, winning a bumper on the last occasion, and has joined Paul Nicholls, who has trained an incredible 439 winners at his local track.

We need one in the first two in the last (4.25), and while Lightonthewing was unseated two starts ago he has won two of his four chase starts, including with plenty in hand last week, and should go very close if staying on his feet.

The final leg is the trickiest of all, and while I expect Electric Annie to go well off a good mark, you couldn't rule out a big run from Dr Hegarty now he is handicapped and being stepped up in trip.

Wincanton Placepot perm

1.30
1 Stormy Flight
5 Windance

2.05
6 Sniper Point

2.40
5 Hatos
6 Island Run

3.15
3 Impact Du Bonheur

3.50
1 Lightonthewing

4.25
3 Electric Annie
8 Dr Hegarty

2x1x2x1x1x2 = 8 lines

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