Tag: Dungannon

Elm Park stars in 310-1 treble for Betcirca

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Andrew Balding’s Elm Park is a top price 20-1 for next season’s Epsom Derby after making all to win the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday.

The racecard had looked tricky beforehand with the soft ground and large fields but three of our four selections won at accumulative odds of 310-1. The first to come home in front was Code Red in the Listed Doncaster Stakes for William Muir.

I felt that the favourite Portamento might be vulnerable in the ground and had been impressed by Code Red’s four-length win in a minor race at Nottingham recently. Early odds of 11-1 were soon snapped up and he returned the 11-2 winner after catching the Godolphin runner inside the final furlong.

On a day when trainer Richard Fahey had four winners, it was his Emerahldz that let us down in the mile and half handicap, fading into seventh behind 14-1 stable companion Latenightrequest. The set-back proved to be temporary as our old friend Dungannon landed our 8-1 tip in the sprint against 18 rivals. I must have written as much about this gelding as I have about any flat racer in recent years and he gave us another pay day in beating Ajjaadd and Demora quite comfortably.

The final leg was his stable mate Elm Park, already a favourite of mine after tipping him successfully in his previous two races. He never looked in any trouble as he led from start to finish to beat Aloft and Celestial Path. The bookmakers quoted odds varying between 10-1 and 20-1 and I have to say that the latter is tempting.

As I mentioned in my Saturday preview, the Racing Post Trophy has a fine record for producing Derby winners with Reference Point, Authorized, Motivator, High Chaparral and Camelot the latest in a long line of dual winners. Kingston Hill won this race impressively a year ago and went on to finish second in the Derby before winning the St Leger for Roger Varian.

Elm Park does not look anything other than a middle distance horse in the making and I would be very surprised if Balding contemplated a tilt at the 2000 Guineas. I am happy to re-invest a little of Saturday’s profits on the colt for the Derby. Our 20-1 Melbourne Cup tip Mutual Regard is now a best price of 12-1 and we also have the Breeders’ Cup to look forward to.

Elm Park 2015 Epsom Derby @20-1 Ladbrokes

Racing Preview Oct 4th

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Charter (tipped at 11-2) and Telmeyd (2-1) got us off to a flying start at Ascot on Friday. Unfortunately Ryan Moore arrived a fraction late on Consign and the photograph also went against us with Marzocco.

Once again the race planners have given us an embarrassment of riches with Group race action at Ascot and Newmarket as well as day 1 of the Arc meeting. Having previewed the Arc separately, I am going to concentrate on the big races in the UK on Saturday starting with Ascot.

Muthmir has been a good friend to this column with victories at York and Doncaster this season. He has fully justified the belief that he is a potential Group class sprinter and moves up to Listed class in the opening race at 2.05. Predictably, the bookmakers are running scared after being hit by this horse in the past so he is no great value. However, rather like Tiggy Wiggy last week, there is no reason to desert him.

Prince’s Trust stands out in the big handicap and should provide a winner for Her Majesty The Queen. He hacked up at Yarmouth and his victims included Outback Traveller who won with similar ease here on Friday. The handicapper has given him a 12lb hike but Cam Hardie reduces that by 3lbs and Haggas looks to have saved him for this event.

I must also put in a word for my old friend Dungannon in the last race. He could never get to B Fifty One who flew out of stall 1 at Chester last time but this is Dungannon’s time of year. He is racing off 92, a mark that should see him back in the winner’s enclosure before the end of the season.

Over at Newmarket they are staging a couple of those big sales races. I can understand the concept to encourage people to buy at Tattersalls but the prize money dished out is quite obscene for the quality of the actual races. The first race wouldn’t be out of place at Nottingham on a Monday and yet there is £300,000 going begging.

I am going to take a chance with Invincible Gold in the 2.20 race. Strictly on the form book he shouldn’t beat some of these but I think he is a nice colt and the likes of Heartbreak Hero and Secret Brief could be over-rated. Ed Walker did us a favour with Dark Wave (tipped at 11-1 on Thursday) and he should give us a run for our money.

The same applies to Majestic Manner in the Oh So Sharp Stakes at 2.55. She caught my eye when running on well in a Windsor maiden and won nicely last time out after racing prominently. Her dam was useful and she could dent a few lofty reputations here.

Finally, I am going to go for Esoterique to win the Sun Chariot Stakes for France. Andre Fabre also runs Fintry and Guineas winner Miss France but I think Esoterique’s form is stronger.

Muthmir 2.05 Ascot @6-4 Bet365

Prince’s Trust 3.50 Ascot @11-2 BetVictor

Dungannon 5.00 Ascot @8-1 William Hill

Invincible Gold 2.20 Newmarket @12-1 Paddy Power

Majestic Manner 2.55 Newmarket @12-1 Coral

Esoterique 3.30 Newmarket @6-1 Sportingbet

York Friday Preview

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Graphic makes a quick reappearance for William Haggas in a competitive race at York tomorrow after his fine fourth in the Cambridgeshire. The four-year-old was boldly ridden from the front by Frankie Dettori but could not sustain the gallop in the closing stages. Even so, it was a decent effort in one of the toughest handicaps of the season and he looks to have a great chance off just a 3lb higher mark on Friday.

Ryan Moore has been booked to take the ride and I would expect him to be ridden with a little more restraint. The early stages could be crucial from his stall 16 draw but hopefully Moore can settle him in just behind the leaders. He certainly looked progressive in his previous race when winning a valuable race on the all-weather at Kempton and I would expect him to go off shorter than the early 5-1.

Dangers include Luca Cumani’s Rockalong who chased home Brownsea Brink at Newmarket and Levitate who was part of Oisin Murphy’s four-timer at Ayr last month. The young apprentice is being carefully managed by Andrew Balding in the hope that he will derive as much benefit as possible from his 5lb claim. He gave us a winner last week with a fine ride on Ballinderry Boy and could be back in the headlines on Friday with five booked rides.

Dungannon could certainly go close in the sprint at 2.30 following victories at Ascot and Haydock. Despite being up 5lbs for his latest win, there is every prospect of the six-year-old improving again. Unusually for a horse that had won his previous outing, Dungannon wore blinkers for the first time at Haydock and won more impressively than at Ascot. It could be that he still has another victory in him and he looks good value at 7-1 or thereabouts.

Murphy rides Van Percy for Balding in the 4.15 but this one looks tricky to win with. He scraped home at Haydock in the summer but generally does not find a great deal off the bridle. It would not surprise me to see him coasting up to the leaders early in the straight but I’d rather invest in Luca Cumani’s Elhaame. He ran well in a decent race at Ascot last time, his first attempt at this trip. He could still be improving and 5-1 looks a reasonable bet on a typically competitive end of season card.

Dungannon (2.30 York) 7-1 Ladbrokes

Graphic 5-1 (3.05 York) 5-1 Ladbrokes

Elhaame 5-1 (4.15 York) 5-1 William Hill, Bet365