Tag: Forever Now

Nottingham Wednesday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Flat turf racing season continues its stop-start progress at Nottingham on Wednesday with an interesting seven-race card.

It’s always a fascinating time of year to see which horses have improved over the winter and John Gosden will be hoping that Forever Now has done exactly that. He lines up in the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at 3.40, a listed race over a mile and three-quarters.

I followed him with interest last season after he caught my eye when finishing second at Newmarket in May. He was very impressive when sauntering to an eight-length win in his maiden at Doncaster next time but only scrambled home in the March Stakes at Goodwood in September.

He was only considered to be Gosden’s second string in the St Leger but he ran a fine race. He led between the two furlong and furlong markers before fading into sixth behind Kingston Hill and Romsdal. The latter came out and won impressively on the all-weather recently and Windshear (fourth) won at Doncaster last week.

The best of the opposition looks to be Island Remede who ran on well behind Windshear last week while Cinnilla improved throughout the season for Ralph Beckett. Godolphin are represented by Blue Rambler who is something of an unknown quantity after one moderate start in Britain. Forever Now should take this on the way to better things.

Gosden also saddles the favourite in the following handicap with Sacred Act. He won over course and distance last year and looked a very exciting prospect. He was confidently backed to win off a mark of 90 at Sandown next time but never looked happy at any stage and finished fifth. Presumably something was amiss and it will be interesting to see how he goes off the same mark.

It’s a question of balancing potential against proven form in this one and I just favour the Doncaster third, Youartisonfire. He had no answer to Chatez in the closing stages of the Spring Mile but it was still a decent effort. He has run his best races at Haydock in the past and this is a similar galloping track. He should go well under Silvestre De Sousa and looks good each-way value at 5-1.

There are several other interesting races on the card and Gosden has Alkawn in the opener and Waady in the sprint, both ridden by Paul Hanagan. There could also be some improvers in the closing three-year-old handicap with the weights headed by Luca Cumani’s Noro Lim.

Forever Now 3.40 Nottingham @11-8 Bet365

Youartisonfire 4.10 Nottingham @5-1 BetVictor (each-way)

Doncaster Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There’s an old saying that winter comes in on the tail of the last horse in the St Leger. That will be good news for fans of jump racing with the season’s final classic due off at 3.50 at Doncaster tomorrow.

The race has a wide open look about this year with a 14-strong field and all sorts of form lines tying them together. Not that it makes finding the winner any easier! The distance is a complete unknown for many of the runners including the favourite Kingston Hill. He has only raced once since the Derby when fourth in the Eclipse and I have reservations about his ability to see out the trip.

The two that interest me from an each-way perspective are Forever Now and Windshear. Both have exhibited a willingness to keep battling way under pressure and should relish the final two furlongs. Windshear looked unlucky behind Snow Sky at Goodwood while Forever Now is closely matched with Alex My Boy and Kings Fete on March Stakes form. They should both give us a good run for our money.

The card opens with the Champagne Stakes and people have been getting very excited about Estidhkaar with a view to next season’s classics. We will know more after he takes on the smart Belardo tomorrow who impressed me when strolling home at Newbury last time. Admittedly Hawkesbury ran with a most peculiar head carriage in second but Belardo looks to have a touch of class and is worth supporting at around 3-1.

Muthmir was a ridiculous price for the Stewards’ Cup and seems to be one of those horses that attracts money every time he races. The trip seems spot on for him in the Portland and it could be worth taking the early 11-2 but I’m also going for Mick Channon’s Chilworth Icon at long odds. He fairly flew up the rail to win at Sandown and the yard have hit form in recent days.

Finally, my old friend Aljamaaheer gets to revert to a more sensible trip in the OLBG Stakes at 3.15. I was very surprised when it was announced that he would be campaigned over six furlongs this season but I suppose he has proved a point with a third in the Diamond Jubilee. He wore blinkers that day but they have now been removed and the going seems to be drying out nicely. That could just give him the edge over old rival Gregorian.

Belardo @3-1 BetVictor

Muthmir @11-2 Boylesports

Chilworth Icon @20-1 Betfair (each-way)

Aljamaaheer @7-4 William Hill

Forever Now @16-1 Bet365

Windshear@8-1 Ladbrokes (each-way)

Newmarket Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Newmarket July meeting always provides the first real test of the Royal Ascot form and that is very much the theme on Thursday.

I have previewed the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes separately and expect Arab Spring to continue his progression. The card opens at 1.40 with the Bahrain Trophy which, if the current trend continues, they will be renaming the John Gosden Bahrain Trophy.

Mr G has won the last three runnings and has opted to run impressive Doncaster winner Forever Now in preference to Epsom third Romsdal. The Epsom form is starting to get that sinking feeling already with only Australia’s win in the egg and spoon version of the Irish Derby so far. No doubt there will be better tests to come but I am not jumping on the hype wagon just yet.

Forever Now should go close but I am worried about Hartnell who battled on well to win the Queen’s Vase at Ascot. I am utterly useless at predicting how the Mark Johnston horses will run but you’d think this one would be in the first two.

The juvenile form gets a test in the July Stakes with Jungle Cat, The Great War and Mind Of Madness among those coming on from the Royal meeting. I am going to bypass all of them in favour of the once-raced Belardo. Roger Varian seems to have his team ticking over nicely and this looked a very nice horse in the making when easily winning at Yarmouth. Hopefully he can cope with these more battle-hardened types.

Another yard that is sweeping into form is that of Luca Cumani. He has had four winners in the last four days and has taken the trouble to enter Mount Logan in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. If he’s that good, he should be able to win the mile and a quarter handicap off a mark of 95. He seemed to win with plenty in hand at Sandown.

The one that worries me here is the William Haggas colt Mange All. He beat nothing last time at Beverley but was a promising third in a hot Newbury maiden before that. He is available at an each-way price so we can cover ourselves with a small wager.

Forever Now 1.40 Newmarket at 4-1 William Hill

Belardo 2.10 Newmarket at 13-2 Paddy Power

Arab Spring 2.40 Newmarket at 7-4 William Hill

Mount Logan 3.15 Newmarket at 3-1 Paddy Power

Mange All (each-way) at 7-1 Paddy Power