Category: Horse Racing

Ayr Scottish Grand National Day Preview

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Our two ante-post choices for the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday have stood their ground but it doesn’t look like Tony McCoy will get a ride in the race. The champion jockey had been booked to ride the soft ground specialist Benvolio but Paul Nicholls pulled him out with conditions having gone against him.

Al Co will need better luck than he experienced at Aintree last week when unseating his rider at the first fence. In-form Peter Bowen is confident that he has suffered no ill-effects after he continued to jump a further eight fences without his rider. He is only marginally higher in the weights than when successful last year and will love the ground. Harry The Viking has done nothing wrong in his recent races and should finish in front of old rival Lie Forrit on this faster ground. It is difficult to be confident in such a huge field but both have each-way chances.

The Scottish Champion Hurdle is enjoying something of a revival since being turned into a handicap. It still has some classy entries including one-time Champion Hurdle prospects Irving, Calipto and Sign Of A Victory. All three have question marks against them after disappointing this season but Irish raider I Shot The Sheriff looks very well handicapped.

He landed a gamble at Fairyhouse at the Irish Grand National meeting and comes here under a 5lbs penalty. He is racing over three-quarters of a mile shorter on quicker ground but he likes to race up with the pace. Paul Townend should have him handy and try to make it a decent gallop and he may still take some catching.

The Future Champion Novices’ Chase at 2.00 has a smaller field but also looks tricky. Fine Rightly has been winning in softer ground in Ireland while Oscar Rock has improved since blinkers were applied. Top Gamble ran too freely last time out and should do better but I’m inclined to side with the tough and consistent Seventh Sky. He does not know how to run a bad race and should give us a run for our money.

Seventh Sky 2.00 @11-2 Totesport

I Shot The Sheriff 2.35 @5-1 Totesport

Al Co 3.45 @14-1 Totesport (each-way)

Harry The Viking 3.45 @28-1 Stan James (each-way)

Newbury Saturday Preview

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Newbury stages a terrific card on Saturday with trials for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas. The Greenham looks every bit as good as in recent years in which it has been won by the likes of Frankel and Kingman. We have previewed the race separately and sided with Belardo as the value bet against Ivawood.

Richard Hannon could end the day with four classic trials winners in a week following the victories of Kool Kompany and Osaila. He saddles Tiggy Wiggy in the seven-furlong Fred Darling Stakes. She was so good over six furlongs as a two-year-old that there is a feeling that she will ultimately prove to be a sprinter. Many Lowther and Cheveley Park Stakes winners in the past have gone down that route and we will know a lot more after Saturday’s race.

Strictly on the form, she cannot really get beaten. She has over a stone in hand on her rivals and she should get seven furlongs, if not the mile.

The opening race on the card is a fascinating mile and a quarter handicap with a huge field including three unexposed horses. The pick of them could be John Gosden’s Mahsoob who won nicely at Kempton on the all-weather on his only start as a three-year-old. He has a very wide draw in nineteen so he will have to go around his field under Paul Hanagan. Others to note are Luca Cumani’s Lunasea and Andrew Balding’s Field Of Fame.

Romsdal should take another step towards the top middle-distance prizes in the John Porter Stakes at 1.45. He was placed in both the Derby and the St Leger last season and looked good on his comeback at Kempton. Windshear was less impressive on his seasonal debut while Arab Spring may just need the run to put him straight.

By far the most competitive race on the card is the Spring Cup at 3.25 but I am keen on the chances of Buckstay for Peter Chapple-Hyam. I fancied him each-way for the Lincoln but he missed the cut and ran in the Spring Mile instead. He nearly gained handsome consolation but was run down by the impressive Chatez in the closing stages.

That looked like an exceptional performance by the winner and Buckstay should go close here. He is up against Lincoln winner Gabrial who is up 6lbs and is drawn close by.

Mahsoob 1.15 @4-1 Bet365

Romsdal 1.45 @15-8 Bet365

Tiggy Wiggy 2.15 @Evens Totesport

Belardo 2.50 @6-1 Bet365

Buckstay 3.25 @8-1 Bet365

Greenham Stakes Preview

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Saturday’s Group 3 Greenham Stakes looks a very high quality renewal and looks certain to have an impact on the ante-post market for the 2000 Guineas.

Richard Hannon’s Ivawood is a surprisingly short-priced favourite, although the yard have already won two Guineas trials this week. Ivawood suffered his first defeat when surprisingly beaten by Charming Thought at Newmarket in soft ground in October. He had looked a real Guineas prospect when winning impressively in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. If the defeat was purely down to the ground, he will be the one to beat but he is tackling seven furlongs for the first time.

Ivawood is not the highest rated in this field with that honour going to Dewhurst Stakes winner Belardo. Roger Varian’s colt produced a shock when beating Kodi Bear by two lengths at Newmarket in a first-time hood. Interestingly, there is no sign of the headgear on Saturday as he makes his first start in the blue of Godolphin.

He had been disappointing in the July Stakes when drawn poorly and again at Doncaster in September in the Champagne Stakes. Clearly connections felt that he was capable of better and the hood seemed to work the oracle. He reversed Champagne form with Estidhkaar at Newmarket and it remains to be seen whether the softer ground was key to his improvement.

Aidan O’Brien sends over Dick Whittington and a victory for the son of Rip Van Winkle would boost the case of Gleneagles in the Guineas. His case has been strengthened by the Craven Stakes winner Kool Kompany. Dick Whittington beat the Hannon colt by half a length at the Curragh in August. He was a beaten favourite at Royal Ascot in June on his only previous start at seven furlongs.

Toocoolforschool turned the Mill Reef Stakes into a procession when beating Growl by seven lengths. He had previously been beaten half a length by Nafaqa at Doncaster in a Listed race over seven furlongs. Karl Burke’s gelding made all when winning the Mill Reef and it would be no surprise to see him bowling along in front again here.

Flaming Spear was backed as if defeat was out of the question on his debut for Kevin Ryan and duly obliged at York. This is a huge step up in class for the son of Lope De Vega while Fannaan is unbeaten in two races for John Gosden. He beat the reluctant Hawkesbury at Newmarket in October and could yet represent Gosden in the Guineas following the defeat of Faydhan in midweek.

Belardo @6-1 Paddy Power

Ayr Friday Preview

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The Scottish Grand National meeting gets under way at Ayr on Friday with the going officially good to soft. The outlook is for fine weather for the rest of the week so it is unlikely to favour the soft ground horses.

The card begins with a Novices’ Hurdle at 1.25 with Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville teaming up with Different Gravey. He is an imposing son of High Chaparral who has won races at Newbury and Huntingdon this season. He looked in trouble on his most recent start with three to jump but got stronger as they race went on, eventually beating A Vos Gardes by three lengths.

He meets the runner-up on identical terms here and should confirm the form. He did win a point-to-point on good ground in Ireland and should not be too inconvenienced by conditions. Fascino Rustico could be a danger if he can get his jumping together. Dan Skelton enjoyed a tremendous couple of days at Cheltenham this week and this horse was running respectably when falling in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

The staying handicap hurdle at 2.30 looks wide open and Henderson again has a leading contender in Special Agent, racing in the colours of Her Majesty The Queen. He had to work hard to win last time out and was probably flattered by his eight-length winning margin. There are plenty of others with chances here but not all are proven over three miles.

Brian Ellison’s Racing Europe certainly stays, having just been run out of it by Milansbar at Kelso over three miles and three furlongs last month. That looked a very decent contest and followed a fair run in fourth behind the front-running Bygones Sovereign. He is also a winner in excess of three miles at Catterick and has won on good to soft.

He does have ground to make up on Shanroe Santos on Musselburgh form in February but that horse has been well beaten since. Tony McCoy will need to earn his fee aboard Capard King who looks a hard ride while Sir Vinski and Chosen Well are others with chances.

Henderson and De Boinville could be back in the winner’s enclosure at 4.10 with Spartan Angel who ran a good race when third in the valuable mares’ race at Newbury last time. The daughter of Beneficial was coming back after a lay-off that day and looks to have been kept for the better spring ground.

Different Gravey 1.25 @11-10 Ladbrokes

Racing Europe 2.30 @8-1 Bet365

Spartan Angel 4.10 @3-1 BetVictor

Newbury Friday Preview

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Following two fascinating days of action at Newmarket, the flat turf action moves on to Newbury featuring the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup Conditions Stakes.

There are only six runners but it is possible to make a case for each of them. The favourite is the Godolphin-owned Winters Moon, a daughter of New Approach trained by Saeed bin Suroor. She is entered in the England and Irish classics and certainly has the best form in the book.

She won her maiden at Newmarket when beating Shagah by a length before finishing a one-paced third behind Muraaqaba at the same course. She could not compete with the smart Elm Park in the Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury next time but ran a fine race when third to Together Forever in the Group 1 Dubai Fillies’ Mile.

She stayed on really well that day after being shuffled back early on. The runner-up was Agnes Stewart while Lucida was back in fifth, both fillies with classic pretentions. That was over a mile on softer ground but she ran as though she will relish the extra two furlongs.

The big danger could be Star Of Seville, trained by John Gosden. She didn’t look anything special when beaten into third on her debut but she made all to win by six lengths at Doncaster next time. She also has 1000 Guineas and Oaks entries and has to be respected, as does the unbeaten Ooty Hill. Roger Charlton’s grey colt won well at Newmarket in soft ground in October and could be one to follow this season.

The seven furlong handicap that follows looks wide open but it is difficult to ignore the claims of Her Majesty The Queen’s Capel Path. Sir Michael Stoute’s horses are shaping as though they need a run but Capel Path looks on a very tempting mark.

The son of Street Cry ran green on his debut and was well beaten at Sandown next time before winning impressively at Newcastle. Graham Lee looked as though he had plenty up his sleeve when beating Taysh by four lengths. There are any number of dangers here including Mujassam, Upstaging and Sugar Boy who all won last time while top weight Strong Chemistry is not out of it.

Our final selection at Newbury is Lucky Beggar in the 3.55. The grey is trained by Charles Hills and won this race last year off only a 1lb lower mark. He was never really involved in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster where he was held up off a slow pace. I would expect Jamie Spencer to try to force the pace here, tactics which have paid off handsomely for Lucky Beggar in the past.

Winters Moon 2.50 @7-4 Ladbrokes

Capel Path 3.25 @6-1 Ladbrokes

Lucky Beggar 3.55 @11-4 Bet365

Scottish Grand National Preview

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If punters have any money left after the Irish and Aintree Grand Nationals, a maximum field looks guaranteed for Saturday’s Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

This race is usually just an after-thought for horses that were aimed at, or fell in, the big race at Liverpool. With only one week between the two, it is looking more like a consolation prize for those that missed the cut at Aintree.

Gallant Oscar and Broadway Buffalo certainly come into that category, the former having already missed Fairyhouse in the vain hope of squeezing into last week’s field. Tony Martin’s gelding ran a fine race behind The Druid’s Nephew at Cheltenham but the going could be on the quick side for him by Saturday.

Broadway Buffalo would have been the Grand National ride of Katie Walsh but David Pipe’s gelding also missed out. He also ran well at the festival to chase home Cause Of Causes in the four-miler. I am not entirely convinced that he will run two races alike and prefer to look elsewhere.

One horse that did make the cut at Aintree was Peter Bowen’s Al Co. Unfortunately he then unseated Denis O’Regan at the first when jinking away from a rival. He continued without his rider for a few fences which he jumped without further mishap. I would not normally be tempted by a first fence faller but he won this race last year and is only 5lbs higher. He should have perfect ground conditions and the stable is in fantastic form with a strike rate approaching 60% in recent days.

Seventeen-year-old Sean Bowen enjoyed his first National ride when finishing eleventh on Mon Parrain and he is in the saddle this weekend. Jamie Moore rode Al Co last year, surviving a nasty moment when the horse ducked away on the run-in and almost unseated him.

There are several horses here that would really appreciate some juice in the ground and that certainly includes Benvolio, the mount of Tony McCoy. He was a brave second in the Welsh National but this is a different kettle of fish altogether. Stable companion Sam Winner looks to have plenty of weight, although that is not necessarily a bar to success as shown by Many Clouds on Saturday.

My best long shot is Harry The Viking who has been running well without winning. He had a titanic battle with Lie Forrit at Haydock and should get the better of that rival on this better ground. He looks good each-way value at around 28-1.

Al Co @16-1 Ladbrokes

Harry The Viking @28-1 Betfair

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4