Tag: Buckstay

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

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

Lincoln Handicap – Ante-post Update

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

In last week’s Lincoln preview we recommended Zarwaan at 12-1 and he is now a top-priced 10-1 with Bet Victor.

Mange All and Gm Hopkins continue to dominate the market for William Haggas and John Gosden. Both stables have a fine record in the race so they should certainly give their supporters a run for their money. I don’t think that there can be much value left at odds of 11-2 and 7-1 respectively so I’ve been looking further down the weights in the hope of unearthing an each-way alternative.

With recent winners returned at 16-1, 25-1, 20-1 and 20-1, we know from experience that the market can get this race badly wrong. The draw is another factor to take into account, although that too is something of a mystery. Most pundits had satisfied themselves that a middle to high draw is ideal. Lo and behold, the winner Ocean Tempest emerged from stall 3 last season.

One horse that does catch my eye is Peter Chapple-Hyam’s Buckstay. I tipped him for last season’s Cambridgeshire and he ran a fine race to be fourth behind Bronze Angel. He is now a staggering 16lbs better off with the winner.

Maxime Guyon rode him that day and hit the front over a furlong from home before being swamped in the closing stages. He again clashed with Bronze Angel at Ascot in heavy ground in the Balmoral Handicap but the draw gave him no chance that day. He finished third on his side but was only ninth overall and that run can be safely ignored.

Buckstay has some form with cut in the ground but does not look as though he appreciates extremes of going. Cam Hardie has been booked for the ride and he takes off a handy 3lbs. With a massive 93 horses left in, Buckstay may not get a run from 33 in the handicap but we can take a bit of the 25-1 and get a refund if he is balloted out.

It looks as though Bronze Angel will carry top weight for Marcus Tregoning with Ocean Tempest just below him, attempting to repeat last year’s triumph. The three market leaders are safely in the top of the handicap and Richard Fahey hopes to run three including both Gabrial’s Kaka and Gabrial. It’s anybody’s guess how Gabrial will cope with this large field but Gabrial’s Kaka should go well. Fahey is optimistic about his chances and 14-1 represents fair value.

Zarwaan @12-1*

Buckstay @25-1 BetVictor (non-runner – no bet)

Gabrial’s Kaka @14-1 William Hill

*Ante-post

Newmarket Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It’s Cambridgeshire day at Newmarket and the result of the consolation race on Friday indicated that there is no clear draw bias. That does not really help us with 35 runners to sort through but I’ve picked out a couple for each-way interest.

Niceofyoutotellme won at Newmarket in the spring for Ralph Beckett, his first start since running a dismal race in the consolation race at the corresponding meeting. That was his first run in a hood and the headgear was left on at Ascot in June when he ran a fair race to finish ninth in the Royal Hunt Cup. He was held up towards the rear at Goodwood last time and was never likely to get involved but a couple of months off should have freshened him up for this race.

My second selection is Buckstay who is well weighted with Extremity on Goodwood form. He was beaten a short-head by that horse over a mile trying to concede 10lbs in July and is now weighted to receive 1lb from the Hugo Palmer runner. There is a huge disparity in the odds for the duo, probably because of Buckstay’s modest third last time at Kempton. Maxime Guyon is an interesting booking for Peter Chapple-Hyam’s runner.

There appears to be plenty of confidence behind Sir Michael Stoute’s Sandy Cay in the opening nursery but I am sticking with Rosalie Bonheur after her game win at Salisbury. She was never travelling better than at the finish of that seven-furlong contest and she can complete a hat-trick for Clive Cox.

It has been a sad week for the Balding family with the passing of legendary National Hunt trainer Toby. He was no mean trainer on the flat either and was equally adept at educating jockeys, as Tony McCoy will testify. I am hoping that the family will have cause for minor celebration with the promising Elm Park in the Royal Lodge, although Nafaqa is the obvious threat. His Doncaster form looks smart after Toocoolforschool won the Mill Reef so easily last week.

Tiggy Wiggy should win the Cheveley Park but is not great value after a long season. Windshear ran a lifeless race at Newmarket today for the Hannon team after a similarly exhausting campaign.

There is a typically competitive card over at Haydock and I must give Chilworth Icon a mention in the big sprint. I tipped him for the Portland Handicap recently and he was a fast-finishing fifth. I am a bit worried that this five furlongs will be on the sharp side but he’s in great form and should go well at a good price.

Rosalie Bonheur 2.0 Newmarket @5-1 Paddy Power

Elm Park 2.35 Newmarket @3-1 BetVictor

Tiggy Wiggy 3.10 Newmarket @11-10 Bet365

Niceofyoutotellme 3.50 Newmarket @16-1 William Hill (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5)

Buckstay 3.50 Newmarket @33-1 Ladbrokes (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5)

Chilworth Icon 4.10 Haydock @14-1 Bet365 (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4)