Tag: Jamie Spencer

Yarmouth Tuesday 17th September Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

After a hugely successful Doncaster St Leger meeting (winning on all four days) and some excellent Arc Trials on Sunday, the racing is definitely of a lower key this week. Even so, there are still some nice horses in action at Yarmouth this week and it is well worth taking a look at the opening day.

The Nursery at 3.00 features three interesting contenders with the proven Dancealot meeting some promising types in Ghaawy and Solidarity. Sir Michael Stoute’s Ghaawy won his maiden without the jockey having to get too serious and is preferred to the Godolphin horse but Dancealot has done nothing wrong and could be a tough nut to crack. With the soft going throwing another unknown into the equation I shall pass this one over.

Master Of War should have the 5.00 in the bag after getting within a length and a quarter of Tropics last time. The other three runners all have plenty of ability but cannot boast a great deal in the way of recent form. I doubt that the bookies will be giving much away with the favourite so I’m investing my “hard-earned” cash on the five-runner Boodles Diamond Handicap at 4.00.

At first glance this looked as though it would be a clash between hat-trick seeking Thomas Hobson and easy last time out winner Battalion but I’m passing them both over in favour of Shrewd. The going at Yarmouth is officially soft and is unlikely to change a great deal before racing and this horse has won on soft and heavy.

It was his last run that alerted me to his chances here. Sent off at 20-1 under young Thomas Brown, he contested a valuable Heritage Handicap at Ascot. The son of Street Sense was settled in rear and that is seldom a good place to be in a large field at the Berkshire course. His rider seemed to be hoping for a parting of the waves on the inside up the home straight but it never materialised. He ended up finishing around four lengths behind Excellent Result without coming off the bridle.

Jamie Spencer takes over tomorrow and I’m hoping that he can follow up the armchair ride that he enjoyed on The Lark at Doncaster. With Thomas Hobson an obvious threat and Battalion also winning with his head in his chest last time it won’t be straight forward but I think 4-1 is great value.

Shrewd 4-1 William Hill

Doncaster Day 2 Preview

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It was nice to get back on the winning trail on the opening day of Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, courtesy of Lightning Thunder at 5-2. She may only have scraped home but she showed plenty of promise for the future and it will be interesting to see whether trainer Olly Stevens steps her up in class with the benefit of this experience under her belt.

I am hoping that another filly can provide us with more cause for celebration on Thursday in the shape of Michael Bell’s The Lark. Regular readers will remember that I picked her out at 33-1 for the Oaks in the summer and she rewarded my support when running on strongly into third behind Talent. She has only managed to get back on the racecourse once since then due to the fast ground. Michael Bell took her over to France but the race was run at a false pace and she could never get into the race won by Pacific Rim.

I think it is safe to put a line through that race and Bell seems optimistic that she can leave that form well behind in the Park Hill Stakes on Thursday. The Lark looked like a filly with a future when she won under Hayley Turner on Town Moor last autumn. She did not reappear until the Swettenham Stud Trial at Newbury in May and was again the victim of a falsely run race. She was held up in a race run at a dawdle and quickened up well enough in the straight without threatening to get to Winsili.

That filly proved good enough to win the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood so it was a far better effort that first appeared. Ironically it is Hayley Turner that could provide the biggest threat to The Lark tomorrow when she partners Seal Of Approval. James Fanshawe’s filly is nothing if not game and battled on bravely to win a listed race at Newbury last month. Those that finished behind her that day have done little for the form and The Lark should have too much class for her.

My one concern is that I seem to be a bit of a jinx when it comes to backing Jamie Spencer. I don’t expect the field to go off at a blistering pace over this trip and I’d expect to see The Lark held up in third or fourth rather than stone last.

The Lark 7-4 Ladbrokes

Haydock and Newcastle Preview 6th September

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It is proving difficult to predict the runners for this weekend’s big ante-post races, let alone forecast the winner! Earlier in the week it seemed that Al Kazeem was destined to swerve the Irish Champion Stakes but Roger Charlton is now doing a rain dance in the hope of a bringing a deluge on Ireland through Friday night. If that devious plans works, his stable star will renew rivalry with York conqueror Declaration Of War. John Gosden’s The Fugue could beat them both if the rain stays away but with “definite possible” now an accepted quote from trainers we will have to keep our powder dry until the weekend.

For most of the summer I tend to avoid maiden races but at this time of year there are some cracking bets to be had. Two-year-old races at Newmarket, Newbury and Goodwood can throw up some really eye-catching performances and the form often stands up on lesser tracks. Haydock does not really fall into that category but I will be supporting Coral Mist in the 2.30 on Friday after her fine debut run at Goodwood recently.

Trained by Charlie Hills, she was sent off at 33-1 in the race won by Valonia. After settling towards the rear she flew up the near rail in the closing stages to finish third and looks a decent filly in the making. She would be odds-on but for the presence of Merletta who was not beaten far by Lucky Kristale in the Lowther Stakes at York. That was a Group 2 but may not have been the strongest renewal and Merletta was having her third start. I’d prefer to go with the potential of Coral Mist and she rates a decent bet at anything better than evens.

Breeding is a funny thing isn’t it? Imagine you were given a filly by Galileo out of Ouija Board. You’d be thinking about winning the Oaks perhaps? Wrong. Try the Happy 30th Birthday Michelle Stevens Handicap at Yarmouth off a rating of 59! Filia Regina will ever scale the heights of her illustrious parents but she took a small step in the right direction when winning that event last time, and she did so “pulling a cart” (not literally of course).

Jamie Spencer had to take a pull on her three furlongs out and just about ricked his neck checking on his rivals before shaking the reins to win by eight lengths. Her rivals may not have amounted to much but she runs at Newcastle tomorrow with just a 6lb penalty. I’ll be taking whatever price is chalked up early and hoping to land a nice double to fund the weekend betting activity!

Coral Mist

Filia Regina

Chester Preview May 9th

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The opening day of the Chester May meeting started with the three worst drawn horses being withdrawn from the first race. The official reasons were a knocked joint, not eaten up and the going. Now, call me cynical but isn’t it time that Chester reviewed the maximum number of runners for their races over sprint distances? If trainers are viewing it as a complete waste of time running a horse with a high draw then it makes sense to reduce the maximum field to 12 and save everyone’s time and money.

The Chester Cup was run at an unusually pedestrian pace but there appeared to be no excuses for Countrywide Flame. He was well placed throughout and looked certain to be in the frame until the last fifty yards. I would imagine that he will now be given a well earned rest and prepared for another tilt at the Champion Hurdle 2014. The best performance of the day came from Banoffee in the Cheshire Oaks, cutting through the pack on the inside rail and winning cosily. Connections now face the prospect of stumping up the cash to enter her for the Epsom Oaks but that looks the most logical step, especially after a bunch finish to the 1000 Guineas last weekend.

Day 2 of Chester gives Richard Fahey a golden opportunity to add to his Cup gains when he saddles Gabrial for the Huxley Stakes. He looked as good as ever when sprinting clear to win the Doncaster Mile, although he clearly retains his inability to run in a straight line. Fallon is claimed to ride Danadana for Luca Cumani and that rival is respected but Jamie Spencer has won on Gabrial in the past and knows what to expect. If you can get any of the 3-1 about Gabrial that seems a fair price in a decent little race.

The Boodles Diamond Handicap features a return clash for Here Comes When and Ribaat, second and fourth in a decent race at Newbury last time. Both horses ran far too freely for their own good but I was impressed by the way Here Comes When quickened up going to the line and he can confirm the placings. The one stall may mean he sees plenty of daylight but I hope his jockey lets him run up front rather than dropping him in behind horses.

The Chester Vase looks unlikely to have a big impact on the ante-post market for the Epsom Derby but it will be interesting to see Ruler of the World lining up for Aidan O’Brien. Feel Like Dancing and Havana Beat should be good enough to give him a decent test but this looks like a race to watch rather than invest in.

Gabrial 3-1 Boylesports
Here Comes When 3-1 Bet Victor