Tag: Horse Racing Tips

Horse Racing Preview 24th January

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It’s Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday and there should be clues to many of the feature races in March.

The action gets under way at 12.40 with Peace And Co looking to cement his position at the head of the Triumph Hurdle market. He is one of several exciting French imports trained by Nicky Henderson and he absolutely hacked up on his debut at Doncaster. The value of the form is debatable and I can hardly believe that he is as short as 9-4 for the Triumph Hurdle. Even so, it will be a major surprise if he is beaten here.

The BetBright Cup at 1.50 sees the return of Many Clouds who did this column a favour in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November. He steps out of handicap company to face last year’s Ryanair winner Dynaste. David Pipe’s grey finished an honourable second in the King George VI Chase last time out but is probably better at shorter distances. Smad Place was only fifth in the Hennessy but will provide a good test if he is fit enough.

Tactics could be important and it may de down to Leighton Aspell to set the pace on Many Clouds. I have reservations about Dynaste up the Cheltenham hill but I think he will have too much class for these.

The horse that I am most looking forward to seeing in action on Saturday is Value At Risk in the Neptune Trial at 3.00. He was trained in Ireland by Philip Fenton last season and finished third in the champion bumper at Punchestown. He was very impressive when coasting to victory at Newbury by 22 lengths on his first start for Dan Skelton. I think he will win on Saturday and his price will fall for the Neptune so it may be worth taking some of the 16-1.

The feature race at Doncaster is the Skybet Chase at 3.15. Tony McCoy has taken the ride on If In Doubt who was useful over hurdles but lacks experience over fences. Easter Day ran well for a long way on his first start after a year off the track and must be respected but most of the other runners look fully exposed. It could be an opportunity for some McCoy magic.

Finally, good luck to Harry Spiller who has his first runner as a trainer at Lingfield tomorrow. The Third Man proved expensive for punters when trained by John Gosden last year but is not without a chance in the 2.35.

Peace And Co 12.40 Cheltenham @4-7 Bet365

Dynaste 1.50 Cheltenham @9-4 Paddy Power

Value At Risk 3.0 Cheltenham @15-8 Bet365

If In Doubt 3.15 Doncaster @11-2 William Hill

*Value At Risk – Neptune Hurdle @16-1 Paddy Power

*ante-post

Deuce Again a topical tip at Southwell

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Leicester and Wetherby both face early morning inspections on Tuesday to see if racing can go ahead. Much of the UK was in the grip of freezing conditions on Monday so I’ve decided to study the all-weather at Southwell where racing is guaranteed.

There are a couple of decent handicaps on the card, starting with the five-furlong dash at 2.30. The one I like here is Zac Brown who shoulders a 6lbs penalty for his impressive win on the opening day at Chelmsford City.

The four-year-old son of Kodiac wore a hood for the first time that day and settled nicely in the hands of Graham Gibbons. Victory was never in doubt once he delivered his challenge at the furlong pole, drawing three and a quarter lengths clear of It Must Be Faith.

He beat Dissent by three lengths at Wolverhampton in November but refused to settle next time when only fourth behind Secondo. The hood seems to have made all the difference and he can track the leaders before arriving late.

The pace is almost certain to be set by Michael Appleby’s Scarborough who beat the in-form Extreme Supreme here a week ago. The four-year-old daughter of Dandy Man bounced out of the stalls and was never headed. She will be the target for Zac Brown in the closing stages.

My second selection is the topically-named Deuce Again, trained by John Gosden. Southwell may be a long way from the Australian Open in Melbourne but this filly could at least cheer up the freezing punters on this side of the globe. She is a beautifully bred daughter of Dubawi and Gosden will be eyeing some black type for her at some stage.

She showed plenty of promise in two decent maiden races at Newbury last summer, notably when third to the more-experienced Saab Almanal and Smiling Stranger over a mile and a quarter. She could not have won any easier than she did here last time, her rider Robert Havlin risking a serious neck injury with some extravagant looks over his shoulder in the home straight.

The handicapper has given her a mark of 84 but that can only be based on guesswork. Godolphin’s Solidarity would be an obvious threat but you would have to discard his poor effort when trailing home last on his most recent outing.

Zac Brown 2.30 @5-2 Paddy Power

Deuce Again 3.05 @7-4 Ladbrokes

Horse Racing Preview 17th January

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The attention of the horse racing world will be firmly on Sprinter Sacre as he is expected to make his long-awaited return to action in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

Trainer Nicky Henderson is understandably nervous about the prospect, just over a year after the horse was pulled up with a fibrillating heart at Kempton. He has been given the best possible veterinary care since and would not be risked unless everyone was happy with his condition. Even so, it will still be remarkable if he is able to bounce back with a win.

Not since my 33-1 bet on Yahoo was denied by Desert Orchid have I been happy to see my horse finish second but I am going to oppose Sprinter Sacre on Saturday. I felt that Dodging Bullets put up a first class display to win the Tingle Creek and is over-priced at 3-1. He is probably not in the same league as the favourite but there must be a big doubt about Sprinter Sacre’s fitness.

Whatever happens with his stable star, Henderson should be in the winner’s enclosure at the start and the finish of the card. I was impressed with Top Notch on his debut and he looks to have an easy task in the first. He will undoubtedly be shortened for the Triumph Hurdle if he does win so I’m going to have a small each-way ante-post investment.

Likewise, Out Sam should underline his festival claims in the last. He only won a four-horse race at Newbury last time but all of his three rivals that day have come out and won since. They include last weekend’s embarrassingly easy Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle winner Tea For Two. It will be a major shock if Out Sam is beaten on Saturday and the Neptune looks likely to be his festival target.

Haydock has to survive an 8am inspection with frost and snow threatening the meeting. The New One is expected to take another step towards the Champion Hurdle in a weak trial so the main betting interest is in the Peter Marsh Chase. Broadway Buffalo easily beat Toby Lerone here in the Tommy Whittle but I was disappointed with him at Wetherby last time. The ground cannot get too heavy for Toby Lerone so he is the each-way selection.

They are racing on the all-weather at Lingfield and Godolphin can land a quick double with Emirates Skycargo and History Book. The latter is trying her hand at sprinting after being edged out over a mile and seven furlongs. She has bags of early speed and is worth a chance at around 9-2. Andrew Balding’s Melvin The Grate can land the featured Ladbrokes Handicap at 2.35 after coming from last to first on his most recent start.

Top Notch 12.40 Ascot @4-7 Bet365

Emirates Skycargo 1.25 Lingfield @4-5 Betfair

History Book 2.0 Lingfield @9-2 Coral

Melvin The Grate 2.35 Lingfield @7-4 Coral

Dodging Bullets 3.00 Ascot @3-1 Coral

Toby Lerone 3.15 Haydock @10-1 Skybet

Out Sam 3.35 Ascot @4-6 Bet365

*Ante-post

*Top Notch – Triumph Hurdle @20-1 William Hill

*Out Sam – Neptune Hurdle @16-1 William Hill

Henderson delays Sprinter Sacre decision

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National Hunt fans will have one eye on the weather for the rest of this week in the hope that Saturday’s card at Ascot can go ahead. The meeting is not currently in danger but Nicky Henderson has warned that he will not risk stable star Sprinter Sacre on heavy ground. A final decision may be left as late as Saturday morning.

The gelding established himself as the best chaser in training in 2013 when romping to victory in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham festival. He followed up at Aintree and Punchestown and only Arkle and Flyingbolt now stand above him in Timeform’s all-time steeplechase ratings.

There was media speculation that Henderson would be tempted to run him in the King George VI in 2014 but the Lambourn trainer decided to keep him to two miles. He suffered his first defeat over fences in unfortunate circumstances when pulled up at Kempton just over a year ago with a fibrillating heart. There were fears that we would not see him back on a racecourse but he has made a steady recovering under the finest veterinary care and attention.

Had it not been for his health problems, Sprinter Sacre would be long odds-on for Saturday’s Clarence House Chase. He is rated more than 20lbs higher than any of his five rivals but there are obviously going to be fitness concerns. Barry Geraghty seems confident that he is back to his best after riding him over five fences at Newbury after Christmas. Even so, he is not likely to push his ears off if he starts to labour in the closing stages.

With doubts still surrounding the participation of Sprinter Sacre, Dodging Bullets has been cut to a best price 7-4. He did this column a favour when landing the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at rewarding odds and represents Paul Nicholls who has been successful four times in this race.

I fancied Dodging Bullets in last season’s Arkle but he had to settle for fourth place behind shock winner Western Warhorse. He shaped well when finishing second to Uxizandre at Cheltenham in November and that clearly sharpened him up for Sandown. He should confirm supremacy over Somersby who was two and a half lengths away in third and reaching the autumn of his career at ten years of age.

Willie Mullins is represented by Twinlight who beat Hidden Cyclone in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Chase last time. He is not the safest of jumpers and tends to jump out to his right. He made a couple of blunders at Kempton on his only previous trip. The race will lose a lot of its interest if Henderson pulls out Sprinter Sacre but Dodging Bullets can continue his progression towards the Champion Chase in March.

Dodging Bullets @7-4 Ladbrokes

Southwell Tuesday Preview

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We managed a small profit from the opening day at Chelmsford City (formerly known as Great Leighs) and the general consensus was that it was a fair racing surface. That is good news for flat racing fans who like a flutter on the all-weather through the long winter months.

The action on the sand switches to Southwell on Tuesday and a six-race card featuring a host of familiar names. In the opening race I’m going to take a chance on Novalist who recorded back-to-back victories here before getting trailing in a disappointing sixth last time.

For reasons known only to connections, he raced without his usual blinkers that day and was always struggling. He was also tackling beyond a mile for the first time. He has the headgear restored on Tuesday and we will know our fate within a furlong or so. The main danger is probably the top weight, Queen Of Skies. She is another course winner and has been very consistent for the Appleby stable.

The second race on the card features a re-match between Eium Mac and General Tufto. Last week we sided with the former but he was just run out of it in the final furlong by the ten-year-old. I just wonder whether Raul Da Silva will try to delay his challenge a little longer this time. He was out in front from the two-furlong pole last time and now has a 6lbs pull with General Tufto.

The early money appears to be for Sleet who lost any chance when squeezed out at the start last time. You could make a case for him here but he is yet to win in ten starts and I’m happy to take him on at odds of around 5-2.

Hayley Turner will be a popular choice in the third race aboard Excelling Oscar. He is yet another course and distance winner and holds Never Easy on recent form. There are bits of form that tie in here with Bannister Bell and I’m going to side with More Drama, trained by Sylvester Kirk. She ran well in a very competitive race won by Splash Of Verve at Wolverhampton before fading into midfield at Kempton.

My final bet of the day is for Extreme Supreme in the five-furlong dash. He made his debut at Royal Ascot last summer and he obviously wasn’t up to that class. However, he has steadily improved with racing and is on a hat-trick over course and distance. He wasn’t knocked around last time and could be up to defying a 6lbs rise for Derek Shaw and Patrick Mathers.

Novalist 1.15 @6-1 Ladbrokes

Eium Mac 1.45 @5-2 Bet365

More Drama 2.15 @7-1 Bet365

Extreme Supreme 3.25 @4-1 Paddy Power

Great Leighs racecourse re-opens as Chelmsford City

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When Great Leighs opened in 2008 it became the first new racecourse in Britain for 80 years.  After staging forty meetings, the administrators were called in the following year but the course is set to be re-born as Chelmsford City on Sunday.

The course is now owned by Betfred who have invested in a new grandstand and plan to run it is a leisure venue. There are 58 meetings scheduled for this year, kicking off with Sunday’s seven-race card which begins at 12.50. The opening day is restricted to around 750 guests but future meetings will be open to the public with an increased capacity of 10,000.

Newmarket trainer John Gosden who is a great supporter of all-weather racing and likes to keep his stable ticking over through the winter months. He saddles Zamoura in the 1.20 and Tempus Temporis in the feature event, the Betsi Golden Mile at 2.50.

Zamoura is a three-year-old filly by Azamour out of a mare by Observatory. She created a good impression on her racecourse debut at Lingfield last month when just beaten on the nod by Dreamlike. She took a little while to realise what was required of her but came through strongly under Nicky Mackay to lead inside the final furlong. She has an extra two furlongs to travel here and should have more scope than Richard Fahey’s Pin Up.

Punters are unlikely to get rich on Zamoura but there may be some value with Godolphin-owned Tempus Temporis. He looked decidedly moderate in his first three starts but was transformed by first-time blinkers at Kempton last month. He swept past some more experienced handicappers to win by six lengths and is worth his chance at this level. His biggest threat may come from another Godolphin horse in Super Kid, runner-up at Lingfield over seven furlongs last time out.

The blue of Godolphin could land the opener with Tryster who last ran at Newmarket in much better company. The son of Shamardal was no match for First Flight in receipt of 4lbs but had previously been impressive when winning by five lengths at Brighton in the summer.

Robert Cowell’s Exceedingly could be worth each-way support in a competitive looking sprint at 1.50 while Rizal Park could still be on a winning mark in the 3.20. Andrew Balding’s four-year-old by Amadeus Wolf beat a decent sort in Nigel’s Destiny at Kempton last month and could go close under a 5lb penalty.

Tryster 12.50 @2-1 Ladbrokes

Zamoura 1.20

Exceedingly 1.50 @10-1 Bet365

Tempus Temporis 2.50 @7-2 Coral

Rizal Park 3.20 @4-1 BetVictor