Tag: Berkshire

Greenham Stakes Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If the fillies are serving up a decent appetiser in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, what can you say about the main event? The Greenham Stakes sees the eagerly awaited return of two of the best juveniles in Berkshire and the unbeaten Kingman.

Kingman is currently as short as 5-1 for the 2000 Guineas and the Gosden stable have already hit form with a hat-trick at Nottingham on Monday. I tipped Kingman for the 2000 Guineas in this column at the end of June at 14-1. That was incredibly early in the season by my own standards for a Guineas bet but there was something about his debut victory that made him appear exceptional.

He next appeared at Sandown with a routine victory under James Doyle before a minor injury curtailed his season. He seemed inclined to carry his head a little high at Sandown, although Doyle was giving him an easy time and it is difficult to know how much he had in hand. The injury and the usual pessimistic overtones from Mr Gosden would certainly not have me racing to take the 2-1 on offer for Saturday.

Berkshire is a horse that I like a lot and I advised taking the 25-1 about him for the Epsom Derby recently. I’m less inclined to back him for the Guineas as he seemed to be crying out for a trip on his second start last season. That was over a mile at Newmarket in which he looked in trouble approaching the dip but ran on bravely to beat Somewhat by a neck. The close proximity of Sir Jack Layden in third, beaten just two necks, suggested this was not a great Royal Lodge but Berkshire had been off the track since June.

That was in the Chesham Stakes where be beat Bunker, Ihtimal and Somewhat by two and a half lengths, a length and a half and four lengths. I rate Ihtimal a cracking bet for the 1000 Guineas and Oaks this season while the Hannon team consider Bunker a possible Epsom horse.

It is by no means a two-horse race. Night Of Thunder bolted up at Doncaster in October but looked to me like a speed horse. Astaire won the Gimcrack and the Middle Park Stakes at two but is another who could find himself contesting the top sprints. Lat Hawill won by eight lengths on his debut at Newcastle and could be anything while Golden Town won at York despite hanging badly.

I’m a huge fan of Berkshire but I just feel that Kingman may have his measure over this trip.

Kingman at 2-1 Totesport

 

Derby Ante-Post Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The turf flat season starts this weekend and that means that the classics aren’t far away. I’ve covered the 1000 Guineas in some depth and am looking forward to Ihtimal after her impressive victories at Meydan.

I don’t really have a firm view on the 2000 Guineas, although confidence behind Australia seems to have gone into overdrive this week. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has apparently said that Istabraq is the only horse that he has trained with more class than Australia. That may seem an odd reference after all of the top class flat horses that have been through his hands, but it certainly tells us that he rates the colt very highly indeed.

I won’t be joining the stampede to take 5-2 for Newmarket because he hasn’t really clashed with the best of his contemporaries. He slaughtered a highly-rated colt in Free Eagle by six lengths at Leopardstown in a Group 3. Dermot Weld thinks a lot of the runner-up, although I’m not sure what he thought about his drubbing that day!

Two colts that I would much rather follow in 2014 are Kingston Hill and Berkshire. To my mind, they both put up eye-catching Derby trials as two-year-olds. Kingston Hill is going to run in the Guineas but it wouldn’t surprise me if Paul Cole kept Berkshire back for a race like the Dante before heading to Epsom.

Kingston Hill was brilliant when winning the Racing Post Trophy. I think he surprised Andrea Atzeni with his turn of foot that day, powering clear in the soft ground to win by four and a half lengths. I’m not too sure what he beat because 200-1 outsider Dolce N Karama was only seven lengths away in fourth. Even so, it was a smart performance and suggested he will cope with the mile and a half at Epsom.

Berkshire is a fabulous looking colt by Mount Nelson out of a Dr Devious mare. He improved about 10lbs on his debut at Newbury to win the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. There was no doubt that Paul Cole knew he had a potential classic colt on his hands and he did not race again until September. He looked in trouble a furlong out in the Royal Lodge Stakes but knuckled down bravely to win by a neck from Somewhat. The bare form leaves him a lot to do but he is going to be a very smart colt this season.

Kingston Hill at 10-1 Coral

Berkshire at 25-1 Skybet, Paddy Power