Category: Horse racing

 

Runners from my list to follow entered tomorrow;

Ascot 2.50 Cactus Curtsey; 3.25 Fleeting Star; 4.00 Shamali; 4.35 Hevelius; 5.10 Judge ‘n Jury.

Carlisle 3.35 Saga de Tercey; 4.45 Visite Royale; 5.20 Speed Dating.

The main meeting tomorrow is at Ascot where the big race is the Group 1 “King George” at 4.25. Sir Michael Stoute looks to hold the key to this race with Conduit and Taratn Bearer the two main fancies. In these cases the percentage call is usually to go with the choice of the stable jockey, he knows the horses far better than I do! Ryan Moore has gone for Conduit which is good enough for me. Alwaary, an unlucky 2^nd at Newmarket might be worth a small each way saver at a big price.

The 3.15 may also go to a Sir Michael trained runner. Desert Creek looked a progressive sort prior to a poor run in the Britannia last time out and is worth another chance. Espiritu, 4^th in the Britannia and with Johnny Murtagh booked to ride looks another worth considering.

Captain Brilliance, runner up in the Bunbury Cup looks sure to go well in the 3.50. Others I considered for this were Redford and Nanton. The latter may find the trip on the short side while Redford, although he clearly has ability is proving difficult to win with.

At Newmarket there are a couple of runners from my list to follow in the 2.50. There is not much to choose between Invisible Man and Sovereign Remedy. My slight preference is for the former.

Another lister contests the 4.35. I have pretty well given up on Moresco after a couple of tame efforts. He has been off the track for 3 months which does seem to suggest that there was a problem with him of some sort. He may come back rejuvenated and ready to run the race of his life but a fair degree of hope is involved in that theory.

York next where I fancy Aromatic to bounce back to form after having had a bit of a break to freshen him up while in the 3.10 both Curtain Call and Monitor Closely are worth considering. Monitor Closely has been performing consistently and looks worth an each way interest at around 13/2.

Hawk Mountain is the selection in the 4.50 where Red Fama could go well if you are looking for a sporting outsider.

Gun for Sale is aptly named as his sire was Quiet American. Both are names of Graham Greene novels. Gun for Sale is well drawn and although his form is a bit in and out he is worth an each way interest.

I was sorry to hear the news that the sprinter Utmost Respect had died earlier in the week after a problem had arisen following routine surgery on his foot. A winner at Group 2 and 3 level as well as a former winner of the Ayr Silver Cup, he will be sadly missed.

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

 

I enjoyed a much more successful time of it today with 3 winners fom last night’s preview. Dancourt and King of Wands won their races at Sandown with some ease giving Ryan Moore a quick fire double. Halfway House was the other winner coming in at 4/1 at Folkestone.

There are just 3 runners from my list to follow entered tomorrow but all 3 have live chances. Two of them clash in the 4.25 at Ascot. Course and distance winner Alanbrooke is the obvious choice and I see that the majority of the newspaper tipsters have gone for him. He has certainly come on plenty now that he is tackling staying trips and the application of blinkers has also helped. Darley Sun is likely to prove the main danger. He won at Haydock a couple of starts ago before chasing home King of Wands who was a comfortable winner this afternoon.

The 6.10 at Newmarket doesn’t look the strongest of contests and John Gosden’s Bruton Street looks to have a fair opportunity of gaining his first win.

The 12 year old sprinter Digital has raced 143 times and won prize money of over £150,000 so has been a great servant to connections. He is owned by former trainer Bill Wightman and trained by the ever popular Mick Channon, ironically Wightman trained Mick’s first winner as an owner way back in 1972. Old Digital turns out again tomorrow in the 8.55 at Chepstow and it would be nice to see him notch another success.

On the subject of veteran sprinters, I see that The Tatling, now a 12 year old, won today at Bath. This grand old campaigner has now won 15 times in his career. That is about it for tonight.

My thanks to the artist Lisa Miller for the picture of The Tatling.

Not one of my better days today with all 4 selections going down.

There are 7 runners from my list to follow in action tomorrow and I will take a brief look at their chances.

At Bath in the 4.40 we have Hillside Lad who won at Salisbury last time out. He may have been a little flattered by the result that day but is not without a chance of following up.

At Doncaster in the 8.25 the lightly raced Scene Two was disappointing on his last start but may well be capable of better.

Spirit of Dubai (Epsom 7.40) was 4^th in the Lingfield Oaks Trial but has not been able to reproduce that form since. If back to her best she would not be far away.

Halfway House won on firm ground at Brighton and looks to follow up at Folkestone in the 8.05. 6 Lbs higher now which will make life more difficult but has a good attitude and is not without a chance.

The well bred Dancourt has a good chance at Sandown in the 4.30 while King of Wands is preferred to Clowance House in the 5.00.

 

After a blank day on Monday I was quite pleased with today’s results. Cape Vale gave me a winner at the new track of Ffos Las thanks to Cape Vale who ended something of a losing run. Alicante was my other winner. He is on an upwards curve and if he is turned out again soon he will be hard to beat.

I have 4 selections for Wednesday and I am optimistic of getting amongst the winners again.

At Leicester in the 7.55 Hada Men, a recent winner at Folkestone looks an improving stayer and probably rates as my best bet of the day.

Lingfield next where Sir Mark Prescott, trainer of Alicante, has Rock Relief in the 5.00. Having had just 3 runs as a juvenile he looks typical of the sort of 3 year old his trainer does so well with.

At Sandown (7.05) I am hoping that Logos Astra will have benefitted from his debut effort over course and distance earlier in the month when he was 4^th.

Lastly I am keen on the chances of Emirates Sports in the Sandown 7.40. He has won his last 2 starts, both on the all weather and the Godolphin team are now in winning form.

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Jane Dunn.

 

 

Woodsley House runs in the Ayr 4.00. He won for em earlier in the season at 20/1 so I have had my money’s worth out of him. He is a course and distance winner on soft ground so could not be ruled out. He is currently 2 lbs higher than his last winning mark. He has an each way chance at 11/1 although it is a shame there are only 15 runners.

If we get plenty of rain up in Scotland it might be worth a close look at Look Busy and Judge ‘N Jury in the 4.30. This looks a competitive race as veterans Reverence, Fullandby and River Falcon also like plenty of cut in the ground. I will give Look Busy preference over Judge ‘N Jury.

Trumpstoo has only beaten two home in a couple of starts this season but they were both on firm ground. He won last year in very testing conditions so if the ground were to ride soft at Beverley tomorrow he would come into the equation in the 8.30. His trainer, Richard Fahey, could hardly be in better form.

Mr Freddy was runner up to Distant Memories on Saturday and if turned out again tomorrow in the Beverley 9.00 he should be backed.

Ben’s Dream was well backed when getting off the mark at Warwick on his last start. He looks to follow that up tomorrow in the 7.50 at Windsor wher4e he was runner up on his only previous visit to the track. He has gone up 5 lbs for his Warwick win but is not without a chance.

Jachol was a disappointing beaten favourite on his last run but might be worth another chance in the Yarmouth 5.15.

On Tuesday Ffos Las stage their inaugural flat meeting where Dandy Nicholls could land the sprint handicap at 4.30 with the top weight Cape Vale.

On the all weather at Southwell the Sir Mark Prescott trained Virginia Hall looks to have a good chance of picking up the winning thread again in the 7.50

The 3.15 at Yarmouth will take some sorting out. I have a short list of 3 for this with Halfway House and Alicante both coming into the race on the back of recent wins and Venture Capitalist who was second at Brighton last time out. Sir Mark Prescott is the master of training horses to run up a sequence of wins so Alicante gets the nod.

In the 4.45 Billberry might be worth considering.

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

 

I was reasonably pleased with today’s selections.  Most of them were in the first 3 and there were some winners from my list to follow as well.

Archer’s Road has proved a profitable horse for yours truly and picked up some nice prize money today when 3rd in the Super Sprint despite being largely ignored by the experts.  He is by the same sire as Lady Livius who won the race at 100/1 a few years ago.

With Redcar abandoned here is no flat racing in the UK tomorrow.

With plenty of rain about the going at many tracks around the country is likely to change and we need to factor that into any selections over the weekend.

Starting with Haydock’s evening card Huntdown looks the obvious choice in the 8.10. If the heavens were to really open though last year’s winner Welsh Emperor would warrant serious consideration. Of his 12 career wins 7 have been on either soft or heavy ground.

Sir Mark Prescott’s team are starting to hit form and his Speed Dating would be my selection in the 9.10. He should handle some cut in the ground and the stable had a winner and a second today.

I would normally be interested in Palace Moon in the Newbury 2.20 but soft ground could be a problem as he has done his winning on good to firm.

The big race at Newbury is the Super Sprint at 3.25. My original each way fancy for this was Star Rover but his form is on fast ground. I suppose the same could be said of Archer’s Road (pictured below) but he is very tough and may be able to handle the going. The other one I like on the Newbury card is Dar Es Salaam in the 4.30.

I am keen on Splashdown (aptly named) in the Newmarket 2.35. She battled well to get the better of Apple Charlotte in a listed race at Newbury on her last start and there is every chance that she will be even better over the extended trip tomorrow.

There are a couple of runners from my list to follow in the 3.05, Sovereign Remedy and Bravo Echo. I think that Sunshine Always, a close second at Newcastle last time of soft ground may be too good for both of them.

Filligree runs in the 3.35 at Newmarket in preference to a couple of other engagements. She ran a cracker when 2^nd at Folkestone despite losing a shoe. The concern would be that her form is all on firm ground.

In the 4.10 Paisley makes a belated racecourse debut. By Pivotal out of a dam that won the Lancashire Oaks she is certainly an interesting type on pedigree. A safer bet though may be Penitent, second on her debut in soft ground at Doncaster.

In the sprint at 5.20 Biniou should handle the ground, comes into the race on the back of a win and has Jamie Spencer booked to ride.

The going at Ripon is likely to be very testing. In the opener at 2.30 I am inclined to go with Beyond Desire who should go on the ground and is well thought of by connections.

My short list for the 3.30 consists of Distant Memories, Raaeidd and Mr Freddy. Of the trio Distant Memories has the proven soft ground form. Mr Freddy should not be discounted given the red hot form of the stable.

In the 4.00 Fortuni and Kings Destiny both make some appeal. Fortuni has perhaps the more obvious chance of the two.

At Lingfield Queen Eleanor has a bit of an each way chance in the 8.25.

 

I didn’t have much luck with Casual Garcia the other day but I am going to put forward a couple more from the same stable that I hope will run better. Alicante (Hamilton 9.00) and Royal Diamond (Haydock 4.40) are both typical of the type of horse their trainer excels with.

Another interesting runner at Hamilton is Prince Rhyddarch in the 8.30. He looked a progressive sort last season and is certainly one to watch for the remainder of this campaign. He is a real mudlark so plenty of rain will help his chance.

At Newbury the unraced Walcott Square is a likely type on breeding in the 2.35 but might need this first run. One to keep an eye on for the future though.

In the 3.45 I had high hopes of Cascata earlier in the season based on her debut success at Great Leighs last November. She has not really lived up to those expectations in her two runs this year but down a few pounds in the handicap and with Ryan Moore on board she might be worth another chance in the 3.45.

In the 5.40 at Newmarket I quite fancy Venture Capitalist who has been second a couple of times recently. He has run badly before on soft ground however and heavy rain is forecast unfortunately. It will be interesting to see how much market support there is in him.

Park Lane has been running respectably without quite getting his head in front and looks to have an each way chance in the 7.15. In the same race a case could also be made for the once raced Cactus Curtsey who showed promise when 3^rd on her debut and both trip and ground look ideal.

My list to follow is doubly represented in the 7.45 with Classically and Mutamaashi. Neither have been in good form of late although Classically could be of interest should the ground ride on the soft side.

At Pontefract Dig Deep is the only runner form my list to follow. He is difficult to catch right but there is the nagging suspicion that he will pop up at a silly price one day. When that day is going to be in hard top predict unfortunately!.

Lastly Phillipina, 6^th in the Oaks ought to win the 5.05 at Nottingham.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Jo Stockdale (see links).

 

Forgotten Voice is a horse I have followed with some success recently and he looks to have been found a winning opportunity tomorrow night in the 8.10 at Doncaster. If the ground were to ride really soft then Perks would be a big danger. Forgotten Voice is likely to start a short priced favourite and to balance things up I considered a bit of a long shot in the 8.40. Red Fama was most progressive last season running up a quick fire hat trick. Although he has gone up in the weights he could still be on a fair mark. What puts me of though is that the trip looks on the sharp side seeing that his last win came over half a mile shorter.

I sort of adopted Mykingdomforahorse last season given the name of my web site. He runs tomorrow in the 9.10 where he could at least make the frame. Hey Up Dad runs in the same race but has been a big disappointment and various types of head gear have failed to work the oracle. He remains potentially well treated should he recapture last season’s form.

They race over the jumps at Cartmel tomorrow where Lake Wakatipu looks a fair bet in the 2.00.

I had hopes for Cook’s Endeavour at the start of the season but he hasn’t shown much in his two runs. His last race was back in mid May so possibly something may have been amiss. He runs in the 3.15 at Leicester and is another that would have chances if recovering last year’s form.

In the 3.50 I looked at In Footlights and Libel Law. Having only raced once In Footlights looks to have the scope to improve and the stable are in excellent form. I am inclined to go with him even though he looks the stable second string on jockey bookings.