Tag: Curragh

Horse Racing Preview May 25th-26th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Our ante-post advice earlier in the week is looking good with all three original selections cut in price. Sole Power was advised at 7-2 for the Temple Stakes and is now down to 2-1 following the withdrawal of Pearl Secret. Reckless Abandon looks to be his chief rival but I still have respect for the Robert Cowell-trained pair of Spirit Quartz and Kingsgate Native.

Spirit Quartz was done no favours by the draw in the Palace House Stakes and again finds himself on the opposite side of the course to the favourite. He has three lengths to find and may struggle if Tangerine Trees gives Sole Power a nice tow into the race. Kingsgate Native remains slightly enigmatic but Cowell reports both sprinters to be in fine shape. So far the worst of the showers have avoided Haydock so it is still looking good for the fast ground that the favourite loves.

Breton Rock has been taken out of the Silver Bowl and Here Comes When is 5-1 from 7-1 to follow up his Chester win. That still leaves Richard Hannon’s Baltic Knight and I am going to have a saver on this promising colt. He beat Here Comes When at Newbury and is better off at the weights and the form received another boost when the third horse won a nice handicap at Newmarket on Saturday. His run behind Dundonell was a good one and he will be a big danger if this race does not come too quickly.

The Irish 2000 Guineas has been turned on its head by a flood of money for Chester Dee Stakes winner Magician. Many observers felt that he had earned a crack at the Epsom Derby with that win but he has apparently been showing so much speed at home that he is regarded as the stable number one here. That is quite an honour with a Breeders’ Cup winner and two horses that were beaten only three or four lengths in the French Guineas to consider.

If you are on Magician at 14-1 I wish you luck but he no longer represents value at 5-2. The one that interests me is Flying The Flag at 33-1 with Stan James. The French Guineas was something of a farce with the horses finishing in a heap but Flying The Flag was arguably the unluckiest of the lot. He trailed the entire field turning in but made up an enormous amount of ground. My biggest worry is that he will be used as a pacemaker as he was last season but at 33-1 I’m prepared to take a punt.

Just The Judge is on course for the 1000 Guineas and I’m optimistic that she can give Charlie Hills his first classic success. Moth looks almost certain to be diverted to the Oaks next week and I think Snow Queen could emerge as the biggest danger. She ran well at Newmarket without ever threatening the leaders and should not be far behind Just The Judge.

Baltic Knight 6-1 Coral
Flying The Flag 33-1 Stan James

Haydock And Curragh Ante-Post Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

This weekend’s racing at Haydock features two top quality betting races in the Temple Stakes and the Betfred Silver Bowl. Over at the Curragh there is classic action with the Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 Guineas on Sunday.

Last year’s Temple Stakes was won in a course record time by Roger Charlton’s Bated Breath from the fast finishing Sole Power. The latter is hoping to go one place better this year after winning impressively at Newmarket last time out. Not surprisingly he has been put up the 7-2 ante-post favourite and he is expected to be hard to beat. His latest victory followed two solid efforts at Meydan. He had several of Saturday’s rivals behind him at Newmarket including the Robert Cowell-trained pair Kingsgate Native (2nd) and Spirit Quartz (5th). There did not seem to be any real excuse for either that day although Spirit Quartz may have been slightly inconvenienced by the draw.

The Silver Bowl has been won by some cracking good three-year-olds down the years and another strong field is set to turn out this weekend. Whatever the result on Saturday, this race is usually a good guide to the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and the form is always worth following. The one to be on early in the week here is Andrew Balding’s Here Comes When who did us a favour when winning at Chester recently. He beat Breton Rock with a little up his sleeve and can beat the same horse on only 2lb worse terms. Richard Hannon’s Baltic Knight could be a danger if allowed to take his chance after chasing home the smart Dundonnell last Saturday. He beat Here Comes When at Newbury by a neck and is 7lb better off at the weights.

The Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday looks wide open with several of the also-rans from the Newmarket Guineas set to turn out again. It will be interesting to see how the form of those beaten so convincingly by Dawn Approach stands up. With Aidan O’Brien having eight of the nineteen runners it is unwise to have a bet until running plans are made known.

O’Brien has also thrown a spanner in the works for the 1000 Guineas on Sunday by declaring one-time Oaks favourite Moth. However, I am prepared to stick with the Charlie Hills-trained Just The Judge to gain compensation. She looked to have done everything right at Newmarket and was unlucky to be run out of it close home. The Guineas form is not always confirmed at the Curragh but I’m prepared to take a chance at the opening quote of 100-30. Those odds can only shorten if Moth is diverted to Epsom.

Sole Power 7-2 Skybet
Here Comes When 7-1 Bet365
Just The Judge 100-30 Bet Victor

Monday 6th April Horse Racing Tips

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Oh my word. Words cannot describe how poorly Hot Snap run. When she beat Sky Lantern last time out, Winning express was in 3rd. This time around, Hot Snap is nowhere to be seen and Sky Lantern wins, with Winning Express in 4th. If she’d run any sort of race we’d of been bang there. No problem with the horse has been reported so i guess she just didn’t fancy it. So disappointing.

Let’s try to get back on track today with a horse that has already been getting backed off the boards as if defeat isn’t an option.

Moonstone Magic – Curragh 16:50 11/4 Bet365

This was 4-1 about an hour before writing this article, it’s now 9/4 in places. The race isnt for 18 hours! Moonstone Magic put up two really good performances, especially the victory in the group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury last year. She then went into the 1000 guineas as the 13/2 2nd favourite and was put in her place by Homecoming Queen.

I am more than happy to forgive her that run, Homecoming Queen absolutely dominated that race (and hasn’t done anything since), although it seemed a bit of a fluke.

The fact this was 2nd favourite for the 1000 guineas shows the public support and the connections thoughts on where the horse would go. Now, since then, she’s been off the track for over a year. But if she’s fit and ready to go, this significant drop from a group 1 to group 3(a grade she’s won at before) should see the best of her.

Now, Viztoria. Won a listed race then came 2nd in a group 2 at Masions-Laffitte. It’s hard to really know how good that race was, there were some decent types in the race, but also some suprising overachievers, like Boomshackelacker, who came 11th of 11 in a Kempton Group 3 before heading off to France for the race. At evens, i’m more than happy to take it on.