Category: Horse Racing Tips

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Warwick Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Earlier this week I previewed the Warwick Classic Chase and picked out Shotgun Paddy with a saver on Any Currency. There does not seem to have been a great amount of business on the race so far as the bookies are still going 7-1 the field.

I you haven’t got involved yet, the 8-1 about Shotgun Paddy looks tempting. His stamina in the heavy ground is the unknown factor but he still looks the horse with the most progressive profile here. Any Currency can still be supported at 25-1 but only he will know whether he is in the mood on Saturday. He is not in the “Mad Moose” category but he looks as though he needs a bit of kidology.

I am going to add Royale Knight at 11-1 (each-way) as I’m concerned that the going will prove too testing for several of these. If you saw Royale Knight’s latest win, his jockey was looking between his legs for dangers all the way up the straight. He has gone up for that win and races from out of the handicap but Brendan Powell in the saddle is a bonus and I can see him running well.

The Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle at 3.00 could go the way of Deputy Dan. He runs in the same colours as Puffin Billy and thank goodness that horse survived a bout of colic recently. It is hoped that Puffin Billy will return as a novice chaser next term but Oliver Sherwood looks to have a ready-made replacement in Deputy Dan.

When he was beaten by Champagne West here in December it looked no more than an average novice event but the winner has since gone on to land a big gamble in a handicap. Deputy Dan then came out and trounced his rivals in the mud at Chepstow on Welsh National day. He will certainly have similar conditions tomorrow and rates a good bet at 4-1.

You have to respect Rathvinden from the Mullins stable and he is the obvious danger. Masters Hill was probably flattered by his second to Kings Parade at Cheltenham but holds Potters Cross on that form. Killala Quay and Creepy have both won races this season but I’m optimistic that Deputy Dan can win again in his favoured ground.

The Pertemps qualifier sees African Gold return to hurdling after a couple of disastrous runs over fences. Last season he looked the sort of horse that wanted a fence so I won’t be rushing to take the 4 or 5-1 about him defying top weight here. I’m going to take a chance on Drop Out Joe handing the heavy ground at 9-1. He was unlucky to lose out in a photo finish last time and has a rounded action that suggests he will go on this surface. We shall soon find out!

Drop Out Joe at 9-1 BetVictor

Deputy Dan at 4-1 Bet365

Royale Knight at 11-1 Boylesports

Kempton Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Top quality National Hunt racing returns to our screens after last week’s modest offering. The highlight of a good Kempton card is the Tolworth Hurdle, a grade 1 event for novice hurdlers over two miles.

David Pipe runs The Liquidator who was an impressive 15-length winner at Cheltenham on his most recent start. At the time that looked a very smart performance, although his task was made considerably easier by some sloppy jumping from his rivals.

Pipe has said that the fact this race has been moved from Sandown could count against The Liquidator who is still a possible for the two and a half mile novice at the festival in March. You would imagine that the tactics would be to make sure there is a decent gallop with this small field and he looks the one to beat at around 5-2.

I am a big fan of Irving who may have been given a race by Prince Siegfried at Ascot last time had John Ferguson’s former Group 3 flat winner not fallen at the last. I am surprised to see him as high as 10-1 in places and he could be the danger.

The information on running and riding plans for the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle was virtually non-existent this week until the final declarations were made on Friday. This surely cannot be a good way to encourage punters to invest ante-post. Now that we finally know what is and what isn’t running, the one to be on looks like Saphir Du Rheu.

The grey looked as if he had just joined in between the last two flights when winning at Sandown in December. Admittedly he has gone up over a stone as a result but the 5lbs taken off by Harry Derham should help and he is narrowly preferred to Junction Fourteen. Emma Lavelle’s gelding has been hyped up since winning over course and distance but that may not have been as strong a race as that won by Saphir Du Rheu.

Twinlight looks like a chaser with a future and I will be supporting him to beat Captain Chris tomorrow. He had his field well beaten turning for home in a Grade 2 chase at Cork last time out and was allowed to hack home from two out. You can ignore the sticky jumping over those fences as he wasn’t going fast enough to jump them any better!

The Liquidator at 5-2 William Hill

Saphir Du Rheu at 5-1 Bet365

Twinlight at 11-4 BetVictor

Warwick Classic Chase Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Warwick Classic Chase is a race similar to the Welsh National in that it often requires a real slogger to see out the marathon trip. I remember backing old Moorcroft Boy to win this many moons ago with his limitless stamina and love of heavy ground. He duly obliged and I thought he was going to make me rich in the 1994 Grand National when he jumped into the lead before Dunwoody galvanised Miinnehoma for a final effort.

This week’s race will take place in heavy ground so the same rules apply. Having gone through the runners a couple of times, it is hard to pinpoint one that you could safely call a mud lark. I suppose you would have to consider Boyfromnowhere one of those least likely to be inconvenienced by the going after his gutsy win at Fontwell. My problem with that race was that the form looks extremely moderate and this is an altogether tougher task.

It is always tempting to go with class in this type of event and the one that stands out is Shotgun Paddy. He is only a novice but has been racing against a really good sort in Black Thunder. He would have given him a tough race last time had he not clattered the second last and handed the initiative to the Nicholls runner. I’ve no idea whether he will see out the last three-quarters of a mile if the going continues to deteriorate but it’s worth taking a chance at 7-1.

Willie Mullins has taken out On His Own and relies on Vesper Bell. This one travelled over for the Becher Chase and made a hasty exit at the first fence. If that experience hasn’t knocked his confidence, he is one of those with form in this type of ground and has to be respected but it is effectively his first race of the season.

I cannot see the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers winning under top weight on his first start of the year whilst Hey Big Spender and Master Overseer are difficult to catch right. I was looking forward to a good campaign for Same Difference this year but he has been lifeless in his first two races. If he were to bounce back to his best he would definitely be in with a shout but I cannot support him until he improves.

I’m also going to put up Any Currency as an each-way alternative after his excellent run at Cheltenham in December. That came in the Cross Country race won by Sire Collonges. He obviously takes a bit of knowing and needs to be kidded along so he is as likely to be pulled up as win. At 20-1 he is worth a small saver.

Shotgun Paddy at 7-1 William Hill

Any Currency (each-way) at 20-1 Boylesports

Catterick Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Act Alone (7-2) covered our stakes on Wednesday and the show moves on to Catterick on Thursday. It isn’t that often that Mr McCoy pays a visit to Catterick Bridge so it would be a surprise if he came away without a winner.

The pick of his rides looks to be Getabuzz in the 1.05. Tim Easterby’s gelding looked sure to win at Wetherby last time after Catcher Star blundered at the last but he failed to grab his opportunity and was pegged back at the finish. Easterby clearly feels that the son of Beat Hollow was not putting it all in that day and blinkers are on for the first time tomorrow.

Gold Show got no further than the third flight when fancied at Wetherby last month and looks the main threat off bottom weight. The grey mare had previously stayed on well when beaten only a length in third at this course and she receives a handy 10lbs from McCoy’s mount. Sealous Scout looked very one-paced when second to Oscars Den at Carlisle but this race won’t take too much winning so is another with prospects.

The feature race is the North Yorkshire Grand National and Merlin’s Wish is a big tip for this race having been diverted from the Warwick Chase this weekend. The fact that the grey was ante-post favourite for Warwick suggests that the nine-year-old son of Terimon has a big chance in this. The handicapper took a dim view of his 25 length victory at Market Rasen and has bumped him up 13lbs so this is by no means a formality.

Diamond Harry is not the force he was a few years ago when winning the Hennessy Gold Cup but he showed up well for a long way at Cheltenham last time. Malcolm Jefferson’s Sun Cloud won last time out at Hexham and could still be improving whilst Sue Smith has her horses in good form and is represented by Green Wizard.

Looking further ahead, there is still no information about running plans for either of the two big handicaps this weekend. The Warwick Chase and the Lanzarote Hurdle were priced up by the bookies on Monday but you would have to be psychic to know what is running let alone winning! Hopefully the picture will become clearer shortly so that I can seek out the best value bets.

Getabuzz (1.05)

Merlin’s Wish (2.35) at 9-4 BetVictor, Paddy Power

Doncaster Wednesday Preview

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Lingfield’s all-weather surface provided the best of the entertainment at the weekend after Sandown and Wincanton were lost to the weather. We kicked off with an 11-4 winner but then suffered a bout of seconditis with our remaining three selections all finding one too good.

The weather situation has eased slightly and we should be in for some decent national hunt racing at Warwick and Kempton this coming Saturday. The Warwick Chase sometimes throws up a decent Grand National prospect whilst Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle looks wide open. I have not seen any confirmed running plans so I’m going to wait until nearer the day before risking any cash.

Doncaster’s Wednesday card is not the greatest in the world but at least it helps to get the show back on the road. Trainer Nicky Henderson had an up-and-down Christmas with the victory of Bobs Worth and the worry of Sprinter Sacre’s heart problems. He has a runner in each of the opening three races at Town Moor tomorrow and all have chances.

Nordic Quest runs in the opener after an encouraging debut at Huntingdon when third to Wadswick Court. Namibian, a Group 3 winner on the flat when trained by Mark Johnston, was a disappointing eighth in that race after being eased to a walk. Nordic Quest was rated some 30lbs inferior to Namibian on the level but a few flights of hurdles can make a surprising amount of difference.

Nesterenko carries the Henderson hopes in the second race and bids to follow up an impressive 9-length victory here last month. Mr Mitchell takes off 7lbs and this looks a competitive race but he’s worth a chance at the odds on offer.

Act Alone is the third of the Lambourn raiding party as he bids to get off the mark in the novice hurdle. He was beaten at odds-on by Lemon Ground in a photo finish at Fontwell but a repeat of that effort might be good enough.

Over at Lingfield, it is worth taking note of Miguel Grau in the handicap at 2.00. He is Roger Varian’s only runner on the card and won despite running a little too freely last time out. The four-year-old is still lightly raced and could be up to defying a penalty.

Nordic Quest 12.10 Doncaster

Nesterenko 12.40 Doncaster 5-2 William Hill

Act Alone 1.10 Doncaster

Miguel Grau 2.00 Lingfield 9-4 Coral

Lingfield Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The winter storms have been battering Britain over the New Year and Sandown’s Saturday card has been abandoned. Wincanton may suffer a similar fate and is subject to a 7am inspection leaving jumps action at Newcastle and all-weather turf racing from Lingfield.

I tend to lose track of the all-weather racing once the National Hunt season gets in to full swing but the quality of racing has definitely improved in recent seasons. Newmarket Trainer John Gosden is happy to support the all-weather through the winter months and has an impressive strike rate in recent weeks.

Gosden also shows a healthy profit to level stakes on the all-weather at the Sussex track and sends two maidens there tomorrow. Joyful Friend finished in midfield behind her stable companion Betimes here a couple of weeks ago and can improve on that effort. She is a daughter of Dubawi and was clearly unfancied on her debut, going off at 20-1 with the winner returned at 3-1.

Anglo Irish is a three-year-old colt by Dansili who showed plenty of promise on his debut at Kempton. He was staying on strongly in third after being briefly outpaced with two furlongs to run in the race won by Billy Blue. He shaped as though the extra quarter of a mile here will bring about significant improvement and his chance is obvious.

Rivellino was slightly disappointing on the turf last summer. He ran some encouraging races, notably when unlucky at Doncaster and York in highly competitive three-year-old sprints. His best run probably came at Town Moor where he was twice hampered before finishing a close fourth behind Moviesta. That horse went to win in Group company and could be competing for top sprinting honours again next turf season so it was a fair effort to get within a couple of lengths or so.

The son of Invincible Spirit got back on the winning trail under the lights at Wolverhampton recently, breaking well and taking up the running over a furlong out to win comfortably. He is up 7lbs for that victory but the opposition here does not look exceptional and he can go in again for Karl Burke’s stable.

The most valuable race on the card is the Coral.co.uk Handicap over a mile and a half and it may be worth siding with Modernstone despite being closely weighted with Grendisar. Modernstone got the verdict last time here after both horses came from behind but he still has room for improvement. A 13 stall is not ideal but he will be dropped in behind so it should not make that much difference.

Joyful Friend 12.20

Anglo Irish 12.50

Modernstone 2.35 @6-1 BetVictor, Paddy Power

Rivellino 3.10 @4-1 Paddy Power