Tag: Horse Racing

Glorious Goodwood Tuesday Preview

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Yeager (20-1) gave us a timely boost on Saturday ahead of Glorious Goodwood. It was nice to get one on the board on a very tricky card. Trading Leather never looked like beating Novellist in the King George but he clung on to second place and that’s probably about as good as he is. It’s going to take a good horse to lower Novellist’s colours in the Arc.

Goodwood kicks off with a cracking good handicap over a mile and a quarter. I am a fan of Nabucco but I’m put off by his wide draw here. Fast Or Free has been taken out of several big handicaps at the last minute, presumably to wait for a bit of give in the ground. Haggas produced a nice horse to win first time out at York on Saturday so fitness shouldn’t be a problem. The trip is a bit further than he’s been before but he could be a group horse disguised as a handicapper and makes some appeal at 7-1.

The Molecomb Stakes looks a bit like the Windsor Palace Stakes revisited with four of that field renewing rivalry. Kevin Ryan’s Sleeper King was in front of his group for a long way at Ascot and I can see him hurtling down the hill here. Supplicant and Anticipated have obvious claims but it’s worth taking a punt at 12-1 that Sleeper King can hold on.

My old friend Aljamaaheer simply has to be my first day banker in the Lennox Stakes. He deservedly got his head in front here in the Summer Mile but this step back to seven furlongs won’t trouble him. He always travels well but doesn’t quite find as much as you would expect so Hanagan will be delivering his challenge as late as possible. If you can get the 11-4 I think that is a rattling good price for a class horse.

The mile and three quarter handicap that closes the TV coverage on day 1 features a host of familiar names. At the start of the season I thought Sir Graham Wade would make a Cup horse but he’s been very disappointing. He gets the blinkers fitted tomorrow for the first time and they should help Franny Norton to get a bit more out of him.

The Johnston horses are a law unto themselves and I have just about given up trying to figure them out. They run every week and vary between brilliant and average, Galician being a case in point at Ascot on Saturday. Oriental Fox looked set to win the slowly run Northumberland Plate but you could tell that his jockey was praying for the line and he got pipped by Tominator. I’m probably going to regret this but I’ll give the grey one more chance as he is twice the price of his stable companion.

Fast Or Free 7-1 Boylesports
Sleeper King 12-1 Ladbrokes
Aljamaaheer (NAP) 11-4 Coral
Sir Graham Wade 9-1 Betfair

Horse Racing Tips 28th July

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We are treated to some lovely looking Group 1 races around Europe today, first up is the Prix Rothschild at Deauville, for 3yo+ Fillies. The second race i will focus on is the Grosser Dallmar-Preis at Munich.

Elusive Kate 2:40 Deauville 11/4 William Hill

Elusive Kate is a likeable sort who narrowly got the better of Sky Lantern last time out in a dramatic finish. Elusive Kate edged left across the entire course, taking Sky Lantern with her, after a lengthy stewards enquiry, Kate kept the race. This was appealed against by connections of Sky Lantern but eventually dismissed after a second enquiry. Elusive kate has run 4 times at Deauville and won a handicap, group 3, group 1 and came 3rd to Exelebration her last visit, only beaten a length and a quarter. She needs her first race of the season before getting off the mark, her first race this season was in the Queen Anne stakes against the boys, where she finished a creditable 4th beaten just over 3 lengths by Declaration Of War. She’s a tough, genuine sort who will put everything in to her race, guaranteed. I’d of loved for the price to be around the 4-5/1 mark as i’d of put this up as an each way bet to nothing, but at 11/4, we’re going to have to go on the nose with her.

Opposite 4:05 Munich 3-1 Ladbrokes

This powerful Dansili colt has been destroying handicap fields in France the past year and takes quite a step up to Group 1 level today. That being said, this german group 1 looks incredibly weak, with the only real threat coming from the current 2-1 favourite Hunters Light. I’m a big Hunters Light fan, he did me many favours in Meydan, but his return to Europe has seen two very poor efforts by his standards (finishing 7th and 6th respectably). If Hunters Light under-performs again, i believe Opposite is ready to pick up the pieces. That said, this is probably the easiest group 1 Hunters Light would of taken part in, so be aware of him. We saw yesterday with Cirrus Des Aigles what out of form horses can do against fields they should really be beating, and i hope the same story applies to Hunters Light today, under perform, let a young pretender take your place in Opposite.

Sky Bet York Stakes Preview

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The feature race at York is the Sky Bet York Stakes which is being billed as a stroll in the park for Mukhadram after his gallant efforts against Al Kazeem. Needless to say, I won’t be snapping up the 4-7 but it is interesting that Paul Hanagan is so keen to retain his partnership with the colt that is prepared to forego a decent ride in the King George.

Those of us who shy away from odds-on “certainties” have a few interesting options here. I went for Wigmore Hall at Newmarket and immediately read an article by his trainer who more or less said that he was not fit! Presumably he has worked himself into better condition here but Apache could be more interesting. He is trained by Mick De Kock who has a habit of turning good horses into even better ones. He’s won and been placed at Meydan so he could give the favourite a run for his money.

Old Smarty Socks goes again in the 2.20 and he looks sure to go well after being desperately unlucky not to collect last time. The old boy could have gone to Ascot for the big handicap so this is an easier option. Even so, I’m a little surprised to see him as short as 4-1 in the betting and I’m going to go for another course specialist in Navajo Brave.

He has won on his last three trips to York including the Hambleton Handicap. The form book says the going was good but it was actually run in a tropical storm! He does have top weight but young Murphy takes off 5lbs and he’s more my kind of price at 9-1.

If you are looking for an impossible race to solve then take a look at the Sky Bet Dash! Apart from Nocturn earlier in the season I haven’t really had much joy with the sprinters this season but I think David Simcock may have laid out Gramercy for this. He was second in it last year when finishing like a train and his three runs this season suggest that he’s ready to produce his best. There is still a bit of 20-1 about.

Navajo Brave 9-1 Bet365
Apache 7-1 Stan James
Gramercy 20-1 Stan James

Ascot King George Day Preview

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King George day has arrived and a modest turn out of eight remain for the Group One event. I should have known better than to try to second guess the master of Ballydoyle. Of course, all racing fans are willing St Nicholas Abbey to pull through but it was disappointing that O’Brien promptly withdrew Ernest Hemingway without any word of explanation. Perhaps he was left in as a pacemaker? Who knows.

Most pundits are following the simple logic that Cirrus des Aigles has at least 10lbs in hand on official ratings and should therefore win. I suppose that is fair enough but he was well beaten in fifth on the only recent evidence we have and is now seven years old. The much maligned three-year-olds are represented by Trading Leather and Hillstar and 5-1 could look quite generous for the former if the favourite fails to fire.

The combination of Bolger and Manning team up with Chroussa in the first and this filly was just collared by Tapestry last time. I doubt that she is being sent over purely to keep Trading Leather company and looks worth an each-way bet at around 10-1. Ascot form is proving a bit in and out so there is no great value in Wind Fire at 2-1.

I am a big fan of Cape Peron but I do think he is being asked some difficult questions. He had a poor draw at Royal Ascot and Candy was reluctant to risk him on the firm ground. He is now lumbered with top weight and another big field to overcome so 4-1 or thereabout seems a bit miserly. Most of these have had plenty of racing but Yeager could be over-priced at 20-1 on Betfair. I notice that William Hill are only offering 10’s.

Earlier in the week we had a stab at the International with Prince Of Johanne and the gallant grey is at least declared to run. I must admit that I am a little worried that this seven furlongs will be on the sharp side. I am going to throw in a real outsider here in Ducal. He got knocked sideways coming out of the stalls at Haydock last time and then got hampered again when following Ashaadd through with his run. In the circumstances fourth was a fair effort and he is any price.

Chroussa 10-1 William Hill
Yeager 20-1 Betfair
Trading Leather 5-1 William Hill
Ducal 47-1 Betfair

Horse Racing Tips Friday 26th July

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Part of me died inside when i saw Sadiq hadn’t won. I fully expected it to build on what it had achieved thus far, but got pegged back late on, so annoying!

Bondi Beach Boy 17:25 Thirsk 4-1 Ladbrokes

Yet another Betcirca favourite racing today, although i think the last time i tipped it, it was when it came 3rd, when going for 4 in a row.. hoping for a bit of better luck with Bondi Beach Boy today. Last time out he finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Ingenti, who’s won since. Back in 3rd was Pull The Pin, who lost to Bondi Beach Boy twice (by an ever increasing margin each time) and then stepped up in grade to win a classs 5 race next time out. Figure that one out.

Swendab is becoming frustrating for supporters, 3 2nd places in a row, and every time he’s looked as if he’s coming to win his race. Oil Strike popped up after tumbling down the handicap to land a class 6 race last time, and is favourite today, but can he repeat that performance with a 10lbs rise? Not sure.

Azma 20:45 Newmarket 6-1 Bet365

Azma looked unlucky last time when being squeezed for room and hampered one furlong out. She’s won around here and has several placed efforts to her name over C&D. She carries top weight after landing a similar contest to this not long ago. She was then beaten in a class 3 handicap which featured the likes of Henry The Aviator and Basseterre. That form looks strong in the context of this race, and 6-1 is a massive price, especially given the each-way value on offer, i’d be amazed if she didn’t place at the very least. An each-way bet to nothing as they’d say.

Horse Racing Tips 25th July

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My word, how disappointing was Pearl Spectre? Let down nearly every double/treble i had placed throughout the day. Things may click with him eventually, but for now he’s one to steer clear off, unless he’s dropped in grade(although he’d be pretty damn short if he did).

Sadiq 15:40 Sandown 6/4 Bet365

I tipped this up last time it ran as the Godolphin stable are on fire at the moment, now i’ll be putting it up again! the manner in which he won last time (he beat a 4/7 heavily backed favourite 11 lengths with ease) suggests a 6lb penalty might not be enough to stop him. My only real reservation is the fact he’s gone from winning twice at Brighton (down hill and a left hand turn) to a stiff uphill finish at Sandown, not to mention the 4 furlong home straight. Another thing Sadiq has in his favour is the weight for age allowance over several of todays runners.

Ducab is interesting, and rates as the only real danger. Roger Varian’s colt got his head infront last time out beating the incredily frustrating maiden from the Gosden yard, Khudoua, will he ever win? Eitherway, with a win under his belt he poses a threat, even if he did beat a horse that does everything possible to not win his races.

Devon Diva 17:00 Bath 4/1 Betfred

This makes the shortlist today for two reasons, he won last time out and the yard really fancy him. He was 5-1 last night, and is 4-1 as of 10:00am this morning, he’ll shorten all the time. He caught the eye with a 50-1 2nd place over C&D last month and followed it up with a harrow neck victory over C&D the last time. 3lbs is the penalty, which is wiped out by Michael J Murphys 5lb claim. This race has some so-so types in it and a reproduction of its last two runs will see it come close. Solid EW chance.