Tag: Newbury

Newbury Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Western meeting at Ayr got under way today as it builds up to the Gold Cup on Saturday. The Bronze Cup looks virtually impossible to solve on Friday but it may be worth noting for clues regarding the draw.

Newbury also stages a good card on Friday with some promising two-year-olds on show. Foreign Diplomat ran well on his debut when third to White Lake at York. I was disappointed that the winner was beaten at Doncaster last week but it still looked a decent maiden and Foreign Diplomat should get us off to a winning start at 1.50.

High Church did this column a favour when winning impressively at Leicester last time out. He had previously been given too much to do when beaten at Salisbury and must have a good chance of defying a 6lbs penalty in the 2.25 race. Saarrem looked very slow when beaten at Lingfield but broke his maiden in the blinkers for John Gosden last time. He could give High Church most to do if the blinkers prove as effective on Friday.

The Haynes, Hanson & Clark Stakes will forever be linked with the great Shergar who won it in 1980. Other previous winners include Henbit, Rainbow Quest and Nayef. I very much doubt that there is anything of that class on show this season but Gibeon did nothing wrong when beating stable mate Acaster Malbis on his debut and is taken to follow up.

There are some nice fillies in the 4.05 race with Marsh Hawk out to recoup losses after being collared on the line at Salisbury last time. She had won by seven lengths on her debut and steps back up in trip. Timba could be the main threat after winning nicely on her debut at Goodwood. Yodelling is difficult to assess after winning a three-runner affair at Kempton and Crystal Zvezda could be anything from the Sir Michael Stoute stable.

Our final tip of the day is for Absolutely So in the Listed seven-furlong race at 4.40. He was a costly failure in the Wokingham earlier in the season but has since shown that he is better at this trip by finishing second at Newmarket and winning at York. He holds Glen Moss on that evidence and a bigger danger may be Safety Check. He looked beaten last time at Ascot but somehow got back up to win. Having supported him in that race I am reluctant to desert him here but Absolutely So just gets the vote.

Foreign Diplomat 1.50 Newbury @Betfair

High Church 2.25 Newbury @9-4 Coral

Gibeon 3.35 Newbury @5-2 Ladbrokes

Marsh Hawk 4.05 Newbury @11-8 Bet365

Absolutely So 4.40 Newbury @11-4 Bet365

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It is Hungerford Stakes day at Newbury on Saturday with a field of seven set to go to post. The soft going may have contributed to the slightly sub-standard entry for this Group 2 race but there are some old favourites in the line-up.

Gregorian has been a good friend of mine over the past couple of seasons but I stopped short of supporting him in the July Cup. I had never felt that he had the speed for six furlongs but he ran a cracker to finish third. He usually likes soft ground but he seemed to get bogged down in heavy conditions at Deauville last weekend behind Garswood. I cannot support him after such a poor run and there are other seven furlong specialists in contention here.

I am going to side with the remarkably consistent Breton Rock. All of his six wins have been over seven furlongs on softer ground and this looks tailor-made for him. He was just denied by Penitent at Haydock last time but we should be guaranteed a run for our money. Apart from Gregorian, Chil The Kite will also be a threat if reproducing his tremendous run when second in the Royal Hunt Cup.

The Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes features several horses on the comeback trail including Melbourne Cup legend Red Cadeaux. Ed Dunlop’s globetrotting eight-year-old has finished runner-up in two Cups and is presumably setting out on his usual pre-Flemington campaign. He is actually best on official ratings and the stable are in great form.

Pether’s Moon is tough and consistent and it’s strange that Hannon is fitting him with blinkers for the first time here. I thought that he was in front plenty soon enough at Goodwood and stuck to his guns well. One that is capable of beating them both is James Fanshawe’s mare Seal Of Approval. She has not won since taking a Group 1 at Ascot last October but there is plenty of money around for her on Saturday.

The Washington Singer Stakes has been the launch pad of the careers of Lammtarra and Haafhd in the past but it is doubtful that there is a superstar among the four runners this year. However, Godolphin’s Hawkesbury can hardly be faulted on what he has achieved in two races. He ran on from the rear to beat all bar the smart Limato at Kempton on his debut and then hacked up at Doncaster by seven lengths. He faces a decent rival in Belardo but Hawkesbury can take the prize. I wouldn’t rule out a good run from Carry On Deryck either after his astonishing burst to win on his debut.

Hawkesbury 2.05 Newbury @11-8 Paddy Power

Seal Of Approval 2.40 Newbury @11-2 William Hill

Breton Rock 3.50 Newbury @5-1 BetVictor

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Racing fans get an unexpected bonus at Newbury on Saturday with the return to action of last year’s Eclipse winner Al Kazeem. Roger Charlton’s multiple Group 1 winner proved infertile at stud and he is back in Listed class here as a preparation for better things.

Charlton is never one to blow his own trumpet but you can be sure that he is happy with the horse to allow him to take his chance. I remember a horse called Radetzky returning to action at Royal Ascot for similar reasons and he bolted up at 25-1. There will be no such odds available about Al Kazeem and he ought to win this with the minimum of fuss.

Token Of Love should continue the terrific run of the William Haggas stable when she lines up in a very competitive fillies handicap at 2.05. She has always been well regarded at home but has taken her time to put it together on the track. She is up 6lbs for her latest win at Newmarket but she was very impressive that day and may just be one of those horses that keep improving.

There are plenty of dangers, notably Provenance of Sir Michael Stoute’s who was a disappointing favourite at Sandown last time out. She is fitted with the hood here and will be a huge threat if able to reproduce her debut effort at Kempton. Feedyah ran well at Royal Ascot but has top weight while Enraptured is yet to race this season for John Gosden.

The Weatherbys Super Sprint has been farmed by Richard Hannon Senior down the years with seven winners and Junior will be hoping to keep the tradition going tomorrow. He saddles several runners but it is hard to ignore top weight Tiggy Wiggy after her game effort at Ascot. She was narrowly beaten in the Queen Mary and it looked a high class renewal. There are plenty of dangers and it may be worth having a little each-way on Pillar Box after her easy Bath win.

Richard Fahey won this last year and saddles five in an attempt to follow up. Realtra looks the obvious one with bottom weight after finishing second in a Listed race in Ireland. She must have every chance of making the weight tell against Tiggy Wiggy and is feared most.

Token Of Love 2.05 Newbury at 4-1 Bet365

Al Kazeem 2.40 Newbury at 9-4 Ladbrokes

Tiggy Wiggy 3.50 Newbury at 5-1 BetVictor

Pillar Box 3.50 Newbury (each-way) at 14-1 Paddy Power

Newbury Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With Royal Ascot less than a week away, horse racing finds itself facing an uphill struggle for column inches as the World Cup gets under way in Brazil. With the US Open also taking place this weekend, the build up to the Royal meeting is certainly going to be well down on recent years.

I think it has already had an impact because I have not even had an ante-post bet on the meeting! It does seem to be right on top of the Epsom Derby meeting this year and I would be very surprised if we see any classic runners pulled out again so quickly.

Newbury stages a more modest card on Thursday but there are some interesting contests and the all-conquering John Gosden team are out in force. The quality race on the card is the Lord Weinstock Memorial Stakes at 3.25 for three-year-old fillies.

Gosden’s Eastern Belle would probably not get within a bargepole of Taghrooda but has acquitted herself well at Newmarket and Goodwood and is the form choice. She easily holds Jordan Princess and Uchenna on her second to Marsh Daisy on the Sussex track. The proximity of Jordan Princess in the betting suggests that the Cumani team had an excuse for her poor effort last time. She was six lengths behind the Oaks winner in the Pretty Polly Stakes so must be considered the obvious threat.

Gosden then saddles The Third Man in the one mile handicap at 4.00. On the face of it, the grey colt has a tough task with 9st 7lb and only one race under his belt. That race resulted in a victory in a modest Lingfield maiden but he fairly rattled home that day and 75 seems a low estimate of his potential.

I don’t know why it has taken this long for Mr G to get him on the track but the fact that he is running in a handicap suggests he has a chance. Most of the opposition have far more experience and seem well exposed, the possible exception being Spirit Raiser. James Fanshawe is no mug and it will be interesting to see how the Hayley Turner-ridden filly gets on here.

The handicap at 4.30 looks tricky but I liked the run of Suitsus at Salisbury last time and he is worth a bet at around 6-1. Steve Drowne tucked him just behind the pace that day and he looked like challenging the winner Iseemist until lack of fitness told.

Eastern Belle 3.25 Newbury at 7-2 BetVictor

The Third Man 4.00 Newbury at 2-1 Paddy Power

Suitsus 4.30 Newbury at 6-1 Betfair

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Lockinge Stakes is the highlight of Saturday’s Newbury card. For a race that has thrown up some top class winners, this looks a modest renewal.

The short-priced favourite is Olympic Glory, a position he owes to his Ascot victory last autumn. He had too much class for the upgraded handicapper Top Notch Tonto on that occasion, although his fitness has to be taken on trust here.

More importantly, the going is not soft and we are unlikely to see the best of “Tonto”. Tullius also stepped out of handicaps to slam Montiridge by four lengths at Sandown. That was either a fine victory or a very disappointing effort from the runner-up, but it was on soft ground.

Chopin was seventh in the Derby last year but is back to his right trip here while Aidan O’Brien saddles American import Verrazano. The colt is a Grade 1 winner in the States and finished in front of Breeders’ Cup winner Groupie Doll when fourth in the Cigar Mile. With the favourite so short, he looks the most logical alternative.

Sir Michael Stoute supplied a double for us at York on Friday and was a shade unlucky not to make it a treble with Radiator. I was slightly concerned about her having her first outing of the season but she ran a good race. The fact that Cannock Chase was able to win easily on his first run suggests that there is plenty of improvement to come, as with most of the Stoute horses. He looks the one to beat in the London Gold Cup.

Battalion takes a rise in class in the Aston Park Stakes but I’m a little worried about the drying ground for him. He won by four lengths on his first run on good ground but he did seem to be “climbing” a little and his best form is on soft and heavy. I had selected Mount Athos for Chester last week but he was pulled out owing to the soft going and this looks likely to suit him much better.

The early money has been for Hayley Turner and Bronze Angel in the seven furlong handicap at 2.40. He did show promise in the Spring Cup but I won’t be backing him at a single figure price and prefer the claims of Modern Tutor. He has joined Andrew Balding from Stoute’s yard and looked unlucky not to add to his Windsor victory last season. Balding had a great Chester with his handicappers and Oisin Murphy still claims a useful 3lbs.

Mount Athos 2.05 Newbury at 100-30 William Hill

Modern Tutor 2.40 Newbury at 17-2 BetVictor

Cannock Chase 3.15 Newbury at 4-1 William Hill

Verrazano 3.50 Newbury at 11-2 William Hill

Greenham Stakes Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If the fillies are serving up a decent appetiser in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, what can you say about the main event? The Greenham Stakes sees the eagerly awaited return of two of the best juveniles in Berkshire and the unbeaten Kingman.

Kingman is currently as short as 5-1 for the 2000 Guineas and the Gosden stable have already hit form with a hat-trick at Nottingham on Monday. I tipped Kingman for the 2000 Guineas in this column at the end of June at 14-1. That was incredibly early in the season by my own standards for a Guineas bet but there was something about his debut victory that made him appear exceptional.

He next appeared at Sandown with a routine victory under James Doyle before a minor injury curtailed his season. He seemed inclined to carry his head a little high at Sandown, although Doyle was giving him an easy time and it is difficult to know how much he had in hand. The injury and the usual pessimistic overtones from Mr Gosden would certainly not have me racing to take the 2-1 on offer for Saturday.

Berkshire is a horse that I like a lot and I advised taking the 25-1 about him for the Epsom Derby recently. I’m less inclined to back him for the Guineas as he seemed to be crying out for a trip on his second start last season. That was over a mile at Newmarket in which he looked in trouble approaching the dip but ran on bravely to beat Somewhat by a neck. The close proximity of Sir Jack Layden in third, beaten just two necks, suggested this was not a great Royal Lodge but Berkshire had been off the track since June.

That was in the Chesham Stakes where be beat Bunker, Ihtimal and Somewhat by two and a half lengths, a length and a half and four lengths. I rate Ihtimal a cracking bet for the 1000 Guineas and Oaks this season while the Hannon team consider Bunker a possible Epsom horse.

It is by no means a two-horse race. Night Of Thunder bolted up at Doncaster in October but looked to me like a speed horse. Astaire won the Gimcrack and the Middle Park Stakes at two but is another who could find himself contesting the top sprints. Lat Hawill won by eight lengths on his debut at Newcastle and could be anything while Golden Town won at York despite hanging badly.

I’m a huge fan of Berkshire but I just feel that Kingman may have his measure over this trip.

Kingman at 2-1 Totesport