Tag: Just The Judge

Royal Ascot Day 4 Preview – Friday 21st June

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Hat’s off to a Royal winner and a 10-1 ante-post tip! My Gold Cup wagers on Estimate at 10-1 and Simenon at 16-1 could not have done any better. The later success of Remote and an unlucky second from Space Ship at 18-1 have left us over 40 points up on the week to date!

I could have done better had I included the American No Nay Never in my selections yesterday but you can’t get everything right. Three days down and two to go.

I’m afraid that Friday’s card could be a case of “After the Lord Mayor’s show” with the poorest card of the week. It opens with the Albany Stakes and I have to confess to knowing little or nothing about this lot. The Cecil horse will have a following for obvious reasons but that is built into her early quotes of around 7-2. In fact, it is difficult to get too excited about that race or the King Edward VII Stakes in which there appears to be no credible opposition to Battle Of Marengo.

The only doubt with the O’Brien horse is whether he genuinely stays a mile and a half. On form, the others are playing for places. I thought Greatwood could be a live outsider for the Derby after his first run behind Windhoek but he ran a stinker in the Dante Stakes. Rather like Highclere’s Bonfire last season, it is probably best to leave him alone until he shows something better.

The Coronation Stakes is a chance for Just The Judge to gain revenge on Sky Lantern for her narrow defeat in the 1000 Guineas. Connections felt that the challenge came too late to give their filly time to respond and she certainly won well at the Curragh. I’m confident she will beat Sky Lantern but I’m going to have an each-way interest in the supplemented Pavlosk too. She did me a favour when part of a huge treble for Sir Michael at York and they have stumped up £25k to run here.

The Wolferton Handicap at 4.25 is a real puzzle with several formerly smart performers hoping to regain their form at the Royal meeting. Labarinto would have a chance on his best form but he usually needs a run to put him straight and Dick Doughtywylie is capable of much better than he showed at Chester. Sheikhzayedroad put together some very quick fractions to come from last to first at Epsom but it was a strange race and he was running practically sideways up the straight.

The Queen’s Vase looks as though it should also go to Aidan O’Brien via Leading Light. There is no great value in his price either so I’ll double him up with Battle Of Marengo for a bit of interest.

I tipped Enrol to beat my old friend Nocturn at Newmarket and she didn’t quite catch him. The extra furlong should be perfect and she has drawn stall 1. I couldn’t support her from a high draw but stall 1 could present its own problems if they run down the centre as on Thursday. Even so, Ryan Moore is riding as well as anyone and can steer her home.

Win double: Battle Of Marengo (3.05) 5-6, Leading Light (5.00) 2-1 Coral

3.45
Just The Judge 3-1 Paddy Power
Pavlosk (each-way) 8-1 Paddy Power

5.35
Enrol (NAP) 7-1 Bet Victor

Haydock And Curragh Ante-Post Preview

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This weekend’s racing at Haydock features two top quality betting races in the Temple Stakes and the Betfred Silver Bowl. Over at the Curragh there is classic action with the Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 Guineas on Sunday.

Last year’s Temple Stakes was won in a course record time by Roger Charlton’s Bated Breath from the fast finishing Sole Power. The latter is hoping to go one place better this year after winning impressively at Newmarket last time out. Not surprisingly he has been put up the 7-2 ante-post favourite and he is expected to be hard to beat. His latest victory followed two solid efforts at Meydan. He had several of Saturday’s rivals behind him at Newmarket including the Robert Cowell-trained pair Kingsgate Native (2nd) and Spirit Quartz (5th). There did not seem to be any real excuse for either that day although Spirit Quartz may have been slightly inconvenienced by the draw.

The Silver Bowl has been won by some cracking good three-year-olds down the years and another strong field is set to turn out this weekend. Whatever the result on Saturday, this race is usually a good guide to the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and the form is always worth following. The one to be on early in the week here is Andrew Balding’s Here Comes When who did us a favour when winning at Chester recently. He beat Breton Rock with a little up his sleeve and can beat the same horse on only 2lb worse terms. Richard Hannon’s Baltic Knight could be a danger if allowed to take his chance after chasing home the smart Dundonnell last Saturday. He beat Here Comes When at Newbury by a neck and is 7lb better off at the weights.

The Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday looks wide open with several of the also-rans from the Newmarket Guineas set to turn out again. It will be interesting to see how the form of those beaten so convincingly by Dawn Approach stands up. With Aidan O’Brien having eight of the nineteen runners it is unwise to have a bet until running plans are made known.

O’Brien has also thrown a spanner in the works for the 1000 Guineas on Sunday by declaring one-time Oaks favourite Moth. However, I am prepared to stick with the Charlie Hills-trained Just The Judge to gain compensation. She looked to have done everything right at Newmarket and was unlucky to be run out of it close home. The Guineas form is not always confirmed at the Curragh but I’m prepared to take a chance at the opening quote of 100-30. Those odds can only shorten if Moth is diverted to Epsom.

Sole Power 7-2 Skybet
Here Comes When 7-1 Bet365
Just The Judge 100-30 Bet Victor

Newmarket 1000 Guineas Preview

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Whilst the 2000 Guineas looks likely to fall to one of the favourites, the 1000 Guineas has a far more open look. Up until the eye-catching performance of Hot Snap in the Nell Gwynn Stakes it was anybody’s guess what would be sent off favourite. You had to be impressed with her performance that day in sprinting clear of a useful yardstick in Sky Lantern, especially as it was only her second racecourse appearance. She didn’t seem to know what was expected of her in the early stages but she quickened past some decent fillies in a matter of strides.

Those who were quick off the mark could have got 5-1 about her but she is now half that price and no longer represents value in an open race. I have still have a healthy respect for Sky Lantern and if you have backed her ante-post I would certainly not have given up hope of a return. She looked to have strengthened up through the winter and would have posted an impressive performance but for Sir Henry Cecil’s filly. I would not put you off supporting either on Sunday but there are several other fillies with sound claims.

Any French raider for this contest is worth a second look and What A Name has to be considered. She won the Prix Impudence on her latest start despite meeting trouble in running off a slow early pace. The French trials can be misleading as they invariably dawdle through the opening stages before gradually quickening up. The 1000 Guineas can be a very different race as we discovered last year when Homecoming Queen ran the field ragged. Even so, there are reasons for believing that What A Name can play a leading role here. Her trainer does not waste money on entries abroad and the daughter of Mr Greeley hasn’t been out of the frame in five starts. She looked to have more to offer at the end of seven furlongs last time and looks fairly priced at around 5-1.

Moth is an intriguing supplementary entry from the O’Brien stable after running away with a poor race recently. They had always regarded her as more of an Oaks filly so were surprised when she left her rivals flat-footed over seven furlongs. This is a much tougher assignment and 7-1 looks a bit short to me. Charlie Hills has great hopes of Just The Judge as he bids to follow in his father’s footsteps. She did nothing wrong as a two-year-old but could find one or two of these too sharp first time out. I was not impressed with the trial won by Maureen at Newbury and much prefer Sky Lantern of the Hannon runners.

But the one I fancy to give a good run for each-way supporters is Dermot Weld’s Rasmeyaa. Admittedly she hasn’t raced this season either but was very impressive in winning her maiden last year and is bred to get the mile. This looks a tall order first time out but Weld is another trainer who knows the time of day and would not be running here unless he felt she was in this class.

What A Name 5-1 Paddy Power
Rasmeyaa (each-way) 16-1 Ladbrokes