Category: Horse Racing

Chelmsford Wednesday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The new flat turf season may have started on Saturday but the summer festivals seem a long way off with Britain being battered by storms this week. Flat racing fans have to content themselves with all-weather action for the time being but there is a good card at Chelmsford on Wednesday.

The feature race is the Totepool Handicap over a mile and three-quarters at 4.00 with five last-time-out winners in the field of seven. Lady Cecil saddles top weight Tacticus who has bolted up in two minor races at Southwell but the handicapper has punished him accordingly. He was never off the bridle to defy a 6lbs penalty last time but is now up a further 13lbs.

His rivals include the promising Wakea with Dubai World Cup winning rider William Buick in the saddle. The son of Cape Cross looks like a useful stayer in the making but Ryan Moore had to get after him to win on his seasonal debut. Jeremy Noseda has a high opinion of this one while Fergall made a belated start on the flat, winning by nine lengths at Lingfield. He has already won three times over hurdles so could be fairly treated on a mark of 87. I am reluctant to oppose a horse in such good form as Tacticus so he just gets the vote.

The action gets under way at 2.0 with a maiden race over a mile and a quarter. Marco Botti’s Giantouch has the best form in the book and looks sure to improve for this step up in trip but I like the filly Nawaasy. She raced very wide on her debut and was still beaten only a length at the finish. If she has made natural progress through the winter for Charles Hills, a race like this could be an ideal starting point.

Luke Morris can win the sprint at 3.00 on top weight Middle East Pearl for James Tate. He tried to cover her up in behind at Kempton last time when third to Zebs Lad, a fair effort on her first start since December. The danger may be the former Sir Mark Prescott-trained Vejovis. He has won over seven furlongs but is dropping back to the minimum trip after nearly making all over six last time.

Tate and Morris can complete a double on the card with Kempton winner Clampdown in the last race at 5.00. He carries a 6lbs penalty but this looks a much easier contest with the main threat likely to come from Three Gracez.

Nawaasy 2.00 @7-4 Bet365

Middle East Pearl 2.00 @2-1 SkyBet

Tacticus 4.00 @7-2 William Hill

Clampdown 5.00 @13-8 Betfair

Prince Bishop stars on Dubai World Cup night

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A top quality card on Dubai World Cup night featuring five Group 1 races ended with success for the Maktoum family when Prince Bishop stormed to victory in the main event.

For much of the race it had looked as though California Chrome would add his name to the roll of honour but he had no answer when William Buick produced Prince Bishop on his outside. The winner has been a grand servant to Saeed bin Suroor with eleven victories in a 28-race career but this is by far his biggest success.

It was quite a night for the veterans with Brown Panther winning the Dubai Gold Cup for Tom Dascombe and Sole Power returning to his best in the Al Quoz Sprint. Perhaps the most significant performance of the night came from the French-trained Solow in the Dubai Turf.

The grey stormed clear of last year’s French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby to win by four lengths. He looks set to be one of the stars of the season on turf. The French were also celebrating after Dolniya won the Dubai Sheema Classic under Christophe Soumillon. She confirmed her superiority over Flintshire from their recent meeting at Chantilly.

The Americans did not return empty-handed with Secret Circle gaining a well-deserved Group 1 success in the Dubai Golden Shaheen under a confident ride from Victor Espinoza. Although the winning margin was only a head, he never really looked like being caught by Super Jockey.

The UAE Derby was won in spectacular style by Mubtaahij for Mike de Kock and the colt will now head for the Kentucky Derby. He travelled easily throughout and gained revenge on his narrow 2000 Guineas conqueror Maftool who was beaten half a mile from home. The winning margin was eight lengths but it could have been doubled had Soumillon wished.

The form may be questionable but Mubtaahij goes to Kentucky with a major chance and is available at 12-1 with UK bookmakers. He will of course come up against the Baffert duo of American Pharoah and Dortmund who currently dominate the market.

Tamarkuz won the opening Godolphin Mile, giving us a tidy 30-1 treble on our Ante-Post update; Tamarkuz (6-4), Mubtaahij (11-4) and Solow (9-4).

Ante-post

Mubtaahij @12-1 Coral (Kentucky Derby)

£1 million up for grabs in Scoop6!

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The popular Scoop6 could reach a pay-out of over £1 million on Saturday for the opening day of the new turf flat racing season. We’ve studied the form and come up with a couple of selection in each of the six races in the hope of helping some lucky punter towards the jackpot prize! A word of warning though…both the Spring Mile and the Lincoln Handicap are included.

Doncaster 2.35

The Cammidge Trophy looks a tricky opener for punters with a decent case to be made for nine of the eleven runners. Naadirr has to be included after some progressive form last season while there seems to be plenty of confidence behind Astaire in the betting market.

NAADIRR, ASTAIRE

Kempton 2.50

The Rosebery Handicap is a competitive event but there seems no reason to desert Godolphin’s New Year’s Day. He won with a bit in hand last time and is nicely drawn in stall 2. Saoi is weighted to get closer this time but I just prefer Latin Charm who looked progressive last winter for Marco Botti.

NEW YEAR’S DAY, LATIN CHARM

Doncaster 3.10

Punters finding the winner of the Spring Mile and the Lincoln Handicap are going to need a large slice of luck or psychic powers! Donny Rover is still fairly treated after ending last season with back-to-back victories while Boots And Spurs was second here two years ago and races off a lower mark.

DONNY ROVER, BOOTS AND SPURS

Kempton 3.25

Boomerang Bob looked to be coming back to form last time and should give us a good run for Charlie Hills. Perfect Pasture won well at Southwell last time but will need to break quickly from stall 10.

BOOMERANG BOB, PERFECT PASTURE

Chelmsford 3.30

The Scoop6 organisers haven’t done punters any favours by including this race. Dungannon was disappointing last time but lost his chance as the start. He could bounce back to form here with Zac Brown also capable of much better.

DUNGANNON, ZAC BROWN

Doncaster 3.45

The last four winners of the Lincoln have returned 16-1, 25-1 and 20-1 twice. That tells its own story but we have to keep the faith with our ante-post choices of Zarwaan and Gabrial’s Kaka. Good luck if you’re playing the Scoop6 this weekend!

ZARWAAN, GABRIAL’S KAKA

Totesport Scoop6

Doncaster Saturday Preview

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The going looks likely to be good for Saturday’s Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster, the traditional curtain-raiser to the new turf flat season.

Our ante-post selections Zarwaan (12-1) and Gabrial’s Kaka (14-1) have both received favourable draws in 18 and 22 respectively. If you backed Buckstay, he missed the cut and runs in the Spring Mile instead but stakes will be returned.

Bookmakers are finding it hard to split Mange All, Zarwaan and Gm Hopkins and will be delighted if anything outside of these three passes the post in front. The Spring Mile may show whether or not the favoured high draw theory is correct and I am passing over Buckstay from stall 1 in that contest. The money has all been for Certificate here but this is a stiff test for such an inexperienced horse and it may be worth taking a chance with Donny Rover.

He ended last season with victories at Newmarket and Nottingham, both over ten furlongs. That may not seem the best preparation for a straight mile but he did win first time out over this trip. He is also racing off the same mark as his last start in October and will be staying on at the finish.

Tullius looks difficult to oppose in the Doncaster Mile but could still represent value if you can get close to even money. He was runner-up in the Lincoln last year but ended the season holding his own in Group 1 company. He was a fine second to Olympic Glory and fourth to Charm Spirit, both at Ascot. He probably prefers a bit of cut in the ground but there certainly won’t be any danger of fast ground at Town Moor.

Glory Awaits is something of an enigma having chased home Dawn Approach at 150-1 in the 2000 Guineas a couple of years ago. He hasn’t produced anything like that since and Baltic Knight will probably pose the biggest threat for Richard Hannon.

The Cammidge Trophy looks wide open and I’m siding with Naadirr who was tough and consistent last season for Marco Botti. He looks the type of horse to improve from three to four and can kick of the new campaign with a victory.

Aetna, Astaire and Heaven’s Guest are all capable of winning this on their best form but Naadirr looks good each-way value.

Tullius 2.00 @4-6 888Sport

Naadirr 2.35 @7-1 Boylesports

Donny Rover 3.10 @16-1 Stan James

Zarwaan @12-1 Ante-post

Gabrial’s Kaka @14-1 Ante-post

Dubai World Cup – Ante-Post Update

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Last week we recommended Epiphaneia as the each-way bet at 8-1 for the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday. That is still the best price available with California Chrome holding steady at around 6-4 despite being drawn out wide.

Unless California Chrome puts on a show, there is a danger that the big race will not live up to its billing. It certainly does not look the strongest renewal but the same cannot be said for the rest of the card.

There are five Group 1 races and three Group 2 races but only the Sheema Classic and the World Cup are televised by Channel 4. SKY viewers can watch all eight races live and it promises to be an entertaining card.

Tamarkuz is confidently expected to win the Godolphin Mile under Paul Hanagan after being drawn on the inside of the 16 runners. His main danger may come from Surfer but he is drawn widest of all and will do well to reach the frame from there.

The Dubai Gold Cup features the popular Brown Panther for the Michael Owen/Tom Dascombe partnership. He blotted his copybook by running away with his rider before the start at Woodbine but will be ponied to the start on Saturday. Ahzeemah was runner-up to the ill-fated Cavalryman here a year ago but ran inexplicably badly last time.

The UAE Derby should go the way of Mike de Kock’s Mubtaahij who looked as if he would have won the 2000 Guineas with another few strides. He is taken to gain revenge on Maftool over this slightly longer trip.

There are two big sprints and both will take a lot of sorting out. Sole Power needs everything to go right in the Al Quoz while Secret Circle and Rich Tapestry give the Americans a very strong hand in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Solow is expected to win the Dubai Turf for France at the expense of The Grey Gatsby who surely won’t be 100% for his first race of the season.

The Dubai Sheema Classic is arguably the best race of the night. Main Sequence has been a revelation since joining Graham Motion in America. He renews rivalry with Breeders’ Cup victim Flintshire who had a recent pipe-opener in France. Harp Star, given too much to do in the Arc, and Dolniya add depth to the field along with the progressive Designs In Rome.

Tamarkuz @6-4 Godolphin Mile Bet365

Mubtaahij @11-4 UAE Derby Bet365

Solow @9-4 Dubai Turf Betfair

Newbury Friday Preview

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National Hunt racing is pretty quiet this week as the big stables take stock of Cheltenham and prepare for the upcoming Grand National meeting at Aintree. Newbury has managed to put together a decent card on Friday and we have selections in the first three races on the card.

The opening novices hurdle at 2.30 can go the way of Mr Dinosaur for Paul Nicholls. He arrives at Ditcheat with a big reputation from the point-to-point scene after being snapped up by the Wylie family. He looked in a different league to his rivals last time and this two miles and five furlongs looks the ideal starting point.

The likely danger is Nicky Henderson’s Mite Bite, third here in a National Hunt flat race on his only previous outing. David Pipe’s Sadler’s Gold was backed as if defeat was out of the question at Plumpton last time but trailed in a dismal fifth.

Nicholls has a chance of a quick double with top weight Katgary in the next after a decent run at Kempton when sixth to Theinval. However, there are a couple of progressive types here in Chosen Well and Ugolin De Beaumont. Chosen Well has won his last three races and was particularly impressive at Exeter last time. He was in front a long way from the finish and may have further improvement to come.

I’m just going to pass him over in favour of Ugolin De Beaumont who won by 22 lengths at Chepstow last time. He could be named the winner as they turned for home and bounded clear with his rider looking around for dangers. His victory was just a bit more eye-catching than that of Chosen Well and he gets the vote.

There are three horses chasing back-to-back successes in the third race at 3.40. Nigel Hawke’s Kadalkin responded well to pressure to win at Doncaster while Owen Na View and Morning Reggie are turned out again quickly under a penalty.

Owen Na View took a keen hold under Paddy Brennan here last week and made a bit of a hash of the third last before bounding clear to win by 11 lengths. He is going up three furlongs in trip and that may not be ideal for a hard pulling sort. The vote here goes to Morning Reggie who stormed clear in a four-runner race at Warwick and gets in here with bottom weight. Oliver Sherwood has always had faith in the grey son of Turgeon and he can defy a penalty. Hopefully a Patent on the three can bring a return ahead of a busy weekend of racing at home and abroad.

Mr Dinosaur 2.30 @5-2 Bet365

Ugolin De Beaumont 3.05 @11-2 Betfair

Morning Reggie 3.40 @7-2 Skybet