Wincanton Placepot picks: Tom Segal with three bankers in Sunday's perm

The classy Flat handicapper Sword Beach showed the first signs of translating that ability to hurdles at Plumpton last time and should be a level above his opposition in the opening McCreery Military Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (1.00).

The problem with banking on him in the Placepot is that he has looked a tricky ride on occasions and as this is a race for amateur riders, I would include Birds Of Prey as a safeguard.

A case can be made for all seven runners in the following handicap hurdle (1.30) but with the Paul Nicholls team having a strong Aintree, Ecco could bounce back in first-time blinkers. He would not be one to trust implicitly, though, and the recent Ludlow winner Judicial Law is included too.

Harlem Soul will be impossible to keep out of the frame in the novice hurdle (2.05), barring accidents, and the David Maxwell-ridden For Langy can be relied upon in the concluding Placepot race, the hunters' chase (3.50).

Gosuatri took a massive step forward in first-time blinkers at Hereford last week and if the headgear works again he should win the Dot Tolson Memorial Handicap Chase (3.15) despite his 7lb penalty.

That only leaves the Royal Bath And West Show Handicap Chase (2.40), but it is by far the hardest Placepot race on the Wincanton card.

From The Heart is scheduled to be the outsider of the six runners but he will like the drying ground and might have needed his recent comeback run over a trip that stretched him. He goes in the perm and so should the veteran Keltus, who bounced back to form at this track last time.

Wincanton Placepot perm

1.00
4 Birds Of Prey
6 Sword Beach

1.30
2 Ecco
5 Judicial Law

2.05
6 Harlem Soul

2.40
2 From The Heart
6 Keltus

3.15
2 Gosuatri

3.50
2 For Langy

2x2x1x2x1x1 = 8 lines

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