Category: Horse racing

I will start tonight’s preview at my lucky track of Kempton Park. Hamloola showed some promise in what was probably a weak back end maiden last November running on into 3^rd place. It is a bit of a concern that she her reappearance has been delayed until August but she did look a promising sort and I will burden her with my selection.

Much the same comments could be made about Too Putra in the 8.05. He won his only start as a juvenile. That was at Kempton so he has shown that he acts on the track and he is stepped up in distance here which should suit him. He is selection number two.

Burghley has been running in better company than he meets in the 8.35, he is a winner on the all weather and is reunited with Hayley Turner who rode him to victory last season. He is a sporting bet at a decent price.

Red Cadeaux and Precision Break are the pair I like in the 3.40 at Pontefract.

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Ruth Buchanan.

 

As long as he copes with the ground OK Comedy Act is my best bet tomorrow. He runs in the 3.30 at Catterick where he is looking for his 4^th win of the season.

At Southwell Dandarell has an each way chance in the 8.40. He was 3^rd over course and distance recently.

 

Tim Easterby’s horses have generally been running well this season. I had hopes for both Antoniola and Bollin Judith from the Easterby yard but neither has won a race as yet. Both have dropped down the weights though and have chances tomorrow. Antoniola runs at Carlisle in the 7.55 while Bollin Judith is at Ripon for the 5.15 where Molon Labe is another worth considering although the stable is out of form.

Another from the same stable at Molon Labe is Walvis Bay who runs in the Ripon 4.15. He would have a fair chance but again the stable form is a concern.

Having spent the last week away in Italy I will take a look back at the highlights of the racing over the last week.

The long awaited clash between Harbinger and Workforce was turned into a rout by the older horse who won by a street. There is no obvious reason to doubt the strength of the from as the Derby winners Workforce and Cape Blanco finished close together as they had at York and the presence of Youmzain, placed several times in the Arc gives further credence to the form. If you followed my selections last Saturday you would have done Ok with wins from San Cassiano (15/2) and Hawkeyethenoo at 7/1. Ruth Carr is fast establishing a reputation for working wonders with horses that have failed to produce their form at other yards. Her horses often go off at inflated prices and San Cassiano has certainly been good for yours truly this season. Hawkeyethenoo as his trainer put it has “a substantial turn of foot” and he showed just that under a confident Kieren Fallonm ride at York to record his third win of the campaign. Jim Goldie’s charge had banged his head in the stalls in the Scottish Stewards Cup eight days earlier, but he was back to his best at the Knavesmire

Rebel Soldier took the step up in class in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in his stride under Ryan Moore. He quickened up inside the final 2 furlongs and held the late challenge of the fast finishing Dandino.

Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes dominated the week at Goodwood with Canford Cliffs producing another devastating performance in the Sussex Stakes to defeat his elders.

Tuscan Gold was a winner waiting to happen after a couple of seconds and he duly justified favouritism at Sandown and may well go in again.

A couple of old favourites of mine returned to winning ways. The splendid old Borderlescott won at Goodwood to land the 13^th success of his career with again K Fallon in the saddle. The underrated Tropical Paradise was another Goodwood winner. He has a tremendous strike rate with this beiung his 5^th win in 13 starts and he always seems to come in at big odds, 16/1 on this occasion.

Midday won the Nassau Stakes for the second successive year for Henry Cecil despite giving her supporters a few anxious moments as she seemed to lose concentration in the closing stages.

Spoken is a horse I have been following this season and he won at Nottingham but my biggest success of the week was Evens and Odds who I tipped for the Stewards Cup and he landed the annual cavalry charge at 20/1 running down Jonny Mudball close home.

There is racing at Chester and Newbury tomorrow. At the Roodeye Our Jonathon, a winner of 4 of his 7 starts is interesting in the 3.30. One that could go well at a big price is Star Rover who has been showing signs of a return to form in recent runs.

In the 5.10 the Richard Fahey pair of Cosmic Sun and Layla’s Dancver are the two I would concentrate on. My only selection at Newbury is Pipette in the listed race at 4.30. She is a three year old in a race that has tended to favour that age group in the past.

At Deauville Goldikova should add to her Group 1 tally at the main expense of Mick Channon’s Music Show.

My thanks to the artist Sarah Aspinall for today’s picture of “The start at Goodwood.”

 

I expect Derby winner Workforce to prove too good for Harbinger in the King George at Ascot tomorrow, although the form of the stable is a slight concern.

The key to the 3.15 may lie with a race run over a furlong shorter at the same track earlier this month. The race was won by Side Glance with Haatheq in 3^rd and they are handicapped to finish close again. These would be my main fancies for the race.

In the Heritage Handicap at 3.50 Suruor has a lot going for him and should be in the shake up. The lightly raced Poet’s Place, second behind Jonny Mudball on his last start is the other one I like in this.

Walvis Bay had something of a troubled passage at Haydock a week ago and comes into the 3.30 at Newcastle with an each way chance.

Primaeval looks a progressive sort and can with the 4.15 while Roker Park does well at this time of the year and has slipped down the weights enough to make him interesting in the 4.40.

San Cassiano showed much improved form to win for his new trainer Ruth Carr at Ripon and can follow up in the Newmarket 2.45.

At Salisbury there have been good reports about Codemaster who runs in the 7.05.

Monitor Closely has been off the course for a while but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make a winning return in the 3.05 at York. The 3.40 is a tight handicap and a case could be made for Hawkeyethenoo, Hitchens, Tiddliwinks, Baldemar and Star Rover. Hawkeyethenoo has been running well and he gets the nod.

Hawk Mountain is well enough handicapped if he can recapture his best form in the 4.45. My other selection at York is Antoniola each way in the 5.20.

Selections for Sunday; Ascot3.25 Dungannon; 4.35 High Office. Carlisle 3.35 Oneofapear. Pontefarct 3.50 Zacinto.

Long range prediction – how about Evens and Odds for the Stewards Cup?

Today’s picture is courtey of the artist Jane Dunn.

Not quite such a good day today but at the time of writing we have had a few successes.

Looking forward to tomorrow Alsace Lorraine looks a good bet in the Ascot 3.20 from a stable bang in form. Field Day is unexposed and could give the favourite most to do.

Hanoverian Baron started the season in great form and although beaten last time out there may have been excuses for him on that occasion. He is worth another chance in the 4.30 where Kieren Fallon rides him for the first time.

In the nursery at Newmarket (6.40) I fancy last time out winner Byrony to give us a run for our money while in the 7.10 Excelebration looks the one to beat. He won well at Doncaster on his latest start and the form of that race is working out well.

James Fanshawe has his horses in very good form and his Deacon Blues can return to winning ways in the 7.40

My selections at York are in the 6.00 Kenyan Cat and Nouriya in the 7.30.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller.

Well the last two days have both been profitable ones with a couple of winners from the Sir Mark Prescott stable coming in at surprisingly generous odds.

Some racehorses are more appropriately named than others and one of the current crop I particularly like is Sandy Shaw, who is by Footstepsinthesand out of Susi Wong. You may need to have been around in the 60s to make the necessary connections! Anyway Sandy Shaw is yet to win a race after 7 attempts but her last effort, when runner up at Chester was encouraging and she may be able to break her duck at Bath in the 4.40.

Wooden King has put in a couple of decent runs recently and his trainer does well at Bath. He might be worth an each way interest in the 5.10.

Cape Royal is 10 now and not the force of old but he has a good record at Epsom and could well make the frame in the 6.40.

Dandarrell is no world beater but has shown signs of ability and may be open to some improvement. He looks each way value at around 10/1 in the 8.30 at Doncaster. My other selection at the Yorkshire venue is Molon Labe in the 9.00.

Allannah Abu goes for the hat trick in the 8.10 at Folkestone where she will be ridden by the capable claimer Rosie Jessop who rode the stable’s Aleatricis to victory in 2008 in the same race. She is hard to oppose.

The frustrating Mata Keranjang is perhaps worth one last chance in the 4.30 at Sandown while Harlestone Times can run well at a big price in the 3.55.

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Vicky Young.

Selections for Wednesday:

Leicester 9.00 Aestival

Lingfield 4.30 Longliner

Lingfield 5.00 Mme De Stael

Sandown 6.35 Swiss Dream

We had a couple of winners today, both improving 3 year olds that may well win again before the handicapper has a chance to reassess them. Allannah Abu incidentally is a half sister to Alambic who won 6 times during the months of July and August back in 2006.

Looking forward to tomorrow the Kempton 8.20 looks to be between High Ransom and Tuscan Gold. Both come into the race on the back of taking the runners up spot on their latest starts. High Ransom was second at Haydock at the start of this month and the winner has since won again. Tuscan Gold was second at Haydock in May in another race where the form has worked out well. This is quite a tough call but Tuscan Gold is a good looking sort and may have the greater scope for improvement. In the 8.50 I am interested in Tomintoul Singer a filly that has dropped a few pounds in the ratings and may benefit from being ridden with a bit more restraint than on her last start.

At Yarmouth the Sir Mark Prescott 3 year old Albacocca looks worth an interest in the 3.15. She is a half sister to Coat of Honour who had a varied career landing a Heritage Handicap at Goodwood, the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock and a hunter chase at Fakenham!

Lastly I like the look of the Barry Hills runner, Esaar, in the 4.45.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Sally Martin.

 

Saturday wasn’t a bad day on the tipping front with a couple of notable winners. I managed to tip the winner of the Super Sprint for the first time thanks to Temple Meads who naturally finished like a train! Just looking at his entry in that excellent book Two Year Olds of 2010 the comment from the trainer was “He’ll be going places this year” and the horse was named as the trainer’s bargain buy. If you don’t buy Steve Taplin’s excellent publication every year you are missing out. It really is the best guide to backing two year olds.

We also has a 25/1 winner with San Cassiano who clearly benefitted from a move to Ruth Carr who often works wonders with horses that she takes over from other yards. She is a trainer to follow.

There are 4 flat meetings tomorrow and I will try to come up with some hints for each meeting.

Cheverton has not shown much in his races so far this season but he has not encountered his favoured soft ground. With heavy rain forecast up at Ayr he could run well at a big price in the 4.30. He is not badly handicapped although the stable form would be a concern. In the 5.00 Turnkey is worth considering. He is a course and distance winner and jockey Adrian Nicholls is 2 from 4 when riding the horse.

Solicitor was runner up at Epsom 4 days ago and is turned out again quickly in the Beverley 7.00 while at Windsor Planet Red could go well at decent odds in the 7.40.

Recent Catterick winner Allannah Abu should be able to follow up in the 4.15 at Yarmouth while Azaday will be suited by a longer trip in the 4.45.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Katy Sodeau.

Good luck!