Category: Horse Racing Tips

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Gosforth Park Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Newcastle takes centre stage this weekend with the Pitmen’s Derby over two miles but Friday nights card is all about sprinting. The Gosforth Park Cup may not quite have the prestige of some of the other top sprints but it always attracts a good quality field.

Two horses catch the eye, both impressive winners last time out. The first is the likely favourite Algar who cruised to an effortless victory at Leicester last time out. You don’t often see a jockey having time to look around in the closing stages of a five furlong contest but Daniel Tudhope could hardly keep Algar back in his efforts to keep the winning distance respectable.

That was off a mark of 75 and he races off 86 here including a 6lb penalty. That is hardly ideal but the manner of his victory suggests that he may be up to the task. The problem is the draw as he is in 13 and a low draw is usually best in sprints here. He was also a little slowly away in his previous race at Musselburgh and a slow start would just about finish his chances here.

The other recent winner that I like is Asian Trader, mainly because he is trained by William Haggas. The stable is in absolutely flying form and just about anything he saddles has a chance at the moment. Although he did not have a winner at Royal Ascot, his percentage is staggering at the smaller tracks of late and you have to give Asian Trader serious consideration.

Asian Trader is to be ridden by 7lbs claimer Georgia Cox who rode her first winner on Fathom Five for Shaun Harris at Ripon only last week. The horse won for Stephanie Joannides last time out so obviously goes well for a girl and is suited by a quieter style of riding. He is drawn seven and ought to be competitive from there.

Georgia has ridden the horse before when finishing down the field at Newmarket but that was his first start of the season. At odds of 12-1, the combination look worth a little each-way.

Burning Thread is also up 6lbs for a recent win over Bear Behind at Ayr. That was the first form he has produced since winning at Sandown last season and he is handily drawn in stall 4.

Asian Trader at 12-1 Bet Victor, Ladbrokes

Northumberland Plate Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Pitmen’s Derby is the highlight of Newcastle’s card on Saturday. This race is one of the top staying handicaps of the season and usually attracts runners from the Chester Cup and Royal Ascot. This year looks like being no exception with the early market leaders being Ascot winner Pique Sous and Chester Cup 1-2, Suegioo and Angel Gabrial.

Pique Sous landed a gamble on the Queen Alexandra Race, the closing event of Royal Ascot week. The grey gets a 5lbs penalty for his comfortable win there but this race comes only a fortnight after the two and three-quarter mile marathon.

Trainer Willie Mullins also has top weight Simenon entered but I think it may be a tall order for last year’s Gold Cup runner-up. Simenon has travelled the globe since that race but hinted at a return to form when fifth to Leading Light. I’d rather see him put away for another tilt at the Melbourne Cup in November.

The one that interests me is Angel Gabrial, trained by Richard Fahey. The five-year-old hit form at Ripon in April when beating the well-backed Mubaraza. He benefitted from a change of tactics that day, being held up at the rear of the field before rushing through in the closing stages. He displayed a tendency to hang when hitting the front which ought to have alerted connections ahead of the Chester Cup in May.

Jamie Spencer took over from David Nolan for the big race and he was well supported in to 7-1. After being held up at the rear, Spencer made a rapid move through the field and swept to the front well over a furlong from home. Whether or not the horse surprised him with his acceleration I am not sure, but was left as a sitting duck in the home straight.

It was Suegioo in the same colours of Dr Marwan Koukash that emerged as the late challenger and Angel Gabrial hung across to his rival, forfeiting further ground. He went under by just half a length and is 1lb better off with the winner. My feeling is that he would definitely have won had his run been delayed and I am expecting exaggerated waiting tactics on Saturday.

With sixty horses still entered, it is too early to study the rest of the field in depth but Angel Gabrial makes plenty of appeal at 10-1 each-way.

Angel Gabrial at 10-1 BetVictor, Ladbrokes

Royal Ascot Saturday Preview

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Royal Ascot comes to an end on Saturday with the Diamond Jubilee Stakes being the headline event. With the possible exception of Black Caviar’s sensational visit, this race seems an odd one to feature on the closing Saturday. In fact, I am surprised that they haven’t moved the Ascot Gold Cup to the Saturday as most of the other traditions have gone out of the window in recent years!

The Gold Cup was the highlight of the week for me. What a game effort by Estimate to get so close to winning it for a second consecutive season for Her Majesty. I thought that last year’s runner-up Simenon hinted at a return to form by making up a good deal of ground in the home straight. With Brown Panther also running well on ground faster than he likes, there are plenty of options including the Melbourne Cup again for both horses.

My regular readers will know that I have followed Aljamaaheer throughout his career and that he has seldom let me down. He is quite an easy horse to read in that he loves fast ground, almost always pulls too hard and just barely gets home over a mile. With that in mind, it is not that surprising that Roger Varian has trained him for the sprints this season.

His first attempt came at the Craven meeting where he duly missed the break! It was probably the one thing that could possibly beat him that day, rather like England failing to mark the one player on the pitch capable of beating them on Thursday night!

Hopefully Paul Hanagan will make sure that he gets away on level terms and he will surely run a good race. He is not that easy to win with as he tends to only win in photographs but he looks solid each-way value.

My other bet on the Ascot card is for Sir Michael Stoute’s Telescope in the Hardwicke Stakes. Stoute has only got two top class middle-distance colts and it seems odd that they face each other here. Hillstar could be the biggest threat as he handles this quicker ground but Telescope looked a class act at York last year and we’ll give him one more chance. His form with Noble Mission doesn’t look so bad after that horse won a Group 1 in Ireland.

Telescope 3.45 Royal Ascot at 9-4 Paddy Power, BetVictor

Aljamaaheer 4.25 Royal Ascot at 9-2 Paddy Power

Royal Ascot Friday Preview

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It is no secret that Sir Michael Stoute’s horses have needed a run this season to sharpen them up. Time and again we have seen his runners improve by up to 7lbs from their seasonal debut, Integral being a case in point on Wednesday when comprehensively reversing Newmarket form.

The Newmarket handler has a strong team lined up for Friday and will be very disappointed if he comes away with nothing. Bold Sniper ran a great race at this meeting last year to be beaten just a length by Elidor in a competitive handicap and returns in peak form for the Wolferton Handicap at 3.05.

He was given a lot to do first time out at Newmarket but cut through the pack impressively to finish third to Niceofyoutotellme. As with the rest of the yard, he will surely improve for that run and my only concern is the shorter trip. This race is over a mile and a quarter which must be a minimum for the Royal runner so I’m hoping they go a fast gallop. He will love the ground and may have most to fear from old rival Café Society.

Snow Sky was nibbled at in the ante-post market for the Derby after winning the Lingfield Trial impressively. A minor knock prevented him from taking his chance at Epsom but that may have been a blessing in disguise. The Lingfield form looks weak but he is closely matched with Derby sixth Western Hymn on Newbury form. He was having his first start when beaten by the Gosden horse and his rival may be feeling his Epsom exertions.

Stoute also has a massive chance with Russian Realm in the closing Buckingham Palace Stakes at 5.35. He made rapid late headway to finish second first time out and then bolted up at Goodwood. He was racing off a mark of 88 that day and is now up to 96 but Ryan Moore only needed hands and heels to secure a comfortable win.

With 29 runners it is impossible to be too confident but he won in the style of a potential Listed or Group class winner and looks worth a bet at around 6-1. I would be kicking myself if I did not include Radiator as an each-way bet in the Coronation Stakes. Strictly on form she ought to be outclassed but she ran too freely when just beaten at York and will also improve markedly. The fact that she is running in the Group 1 is a hint in itself.

Bold Sniper 3.05 Royal Ascot at 4-1 BetVictor

Snow Sky 3.45 Royal Ascot at 5-1 Coral, William Hill

Radiator (each-way) 4.25 Royal Ascot at 16-1 Paddy Power

Russian Realm 5.35 Royal Ascot at 6-1 William Hill

Royal Ascot Thursday Preview

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The defeat of Treve on day 2 of Royal Ascot was not as big a surprise as the pundits would have you believe. The going is clearly riding good to firm with Sole Power able to use his blistering speed on the opening day and The Fugue relishing her favourite surface in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

Treve won a soft ground Arc over a mile and a half and it is little wonder she was running like a crab in the closing stages of a mile and a quarter race on quicker ground. Of course, we would not have taken a lot of encouragement about The Fugue’s prospects from her previous run or the typically downbeat Mr Gosden.

Thursday is Ascot Gold Cup day and a year ago we were celebrating an ante-post 1-2 as Estimate and Simenon fought out the finish. Both horses are back again tomorrow but they have had mixed fortunes since. Estimate has only managed one further racecourse appearance while Simenon has run in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai!

According to the bookmakers, Leading Light is already past the post. The St Leger winner handles this quicker ground having won at the corresponding meeting and was impressive first time out this season. The ground is most definitely against Altano, Brown Panther and Tac De Boistron so each-way options against the favourite are limited.

One horse that will like the ground is Ahzeemah. This horse has been crying out for fast ground and looks worth a bet at around 25-1. The Godolphin horses haven’t been setting the World alight so far this week but one big win would put matters right.

Early birds have already snapped up the value with Cannock Chase in the 3.05 race. Sir Michael Stoute’s promising colt looked to have a few pounds in hand when winning the London Gold Cup and this doesn’t look the strongest race of the week by any means. Integral gave the yard a boost on Wednesday and Cannock Chase can follow suit.

John Gosden has a fine record in the Britannia Handicap and his horses are clearly running out of their skins with the victories of Kingman and The Fugue. Hunters Creek is his runner this year and you can ignore his recent form as he has not been getting home over ten furlongs. At the furlong pole he was bang in contention with subsequent easy winner Master Carpenter last time and that form gives him better than a 16-1 chance.

Cannock Chase 3.05 Ascot 5-2 Bet365

Ahzeemah 4.25 Ascot 25-1 Ladbrokes, Bet Victor

Hunters Creek 5.00 Ascot 18-1 Betfair

Royal Ascot Wednesday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

We had a couple of short-priced winners on the opening day but it should have been better. I was kicking myself for not including Sole Power with the sun beating down to give him his favoured fast ground. The second day is probably the best betting day of the week with plenty of runners and a fine mix of handicaps and group races.

I usually fancy something strongly in the Jersey Stakes as the seven-furlong trip is ideal for horses that don’t quite get home in the Guineas. Unusually, there is no 2000 Guineas “flop” in the field although there are horses from the French and Irish races. Richard Fahey’s Parbold has become expensive to follow and even his trainer admits to being puzzled by the colt. He did little wrong at Epsom last time when getting within a whisker of ending That Is The Spirit’s winning run. They are both set to go off at huge prices here so can carry each-way support.

I had convinced myself that Tiggy Wiggy would win the Queen Mary after she flew home in the National Stakes. That was until witnessing the American horse bolt up in the two-year-old event yesterday. I am now going to have to include Spanish Pipedream but at least Tiggy Wiggy will be an each-way price.

Treve should win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes but there must be slight concerns over the shorter trip and quicker ground. I cannot support her at odds-on with the likes of Magician, Dank and The Fugue in opposition but I expect her to come through the test.

There does not seem to be the same stable confidence behind Sky Lantern as there was behind Toronado in the Queen Anne. The popular grey has the form to win on Wednesday having beaten Integral last season at Newmarket but it should be close between the pair.

The cavalry charge for the Royal Hunt Cup sees Abseil bidding to justify heavy ante-post support. Having collected on him at Yarmouth and Epsom, I feel obliged to follow him here but will also take some each-way about Stirring Ballad. Richard Hughes suffered a nightmare ride on her 12 months ago and David Probert now does the steering. She has not been on the racecourse since but stranger things have happened!

That Is The Spirit 2.30 Royal Ascot 14-1 Paddy Power

Parbold 2.30 Royal Ascot 18-1 Bet Victor

Spanish Pipedream 3.05 Royal Ascot 5-2 Bet365

Tiggy Wiggy 3.05 Royal Ascot 6-1 Paddy Power

Integral 3.45 Royal Ascot 3-1 Ladbrokes

Sky Lantern 3.45 Royal Ascot 4-1 Ladbrokes

Abseil 5.00 Royal Ascot 11-2 Coral

Stirring Ballad 5.00 Royal Ascot 23-1 Betfair