Tag: William Haggas

Newbury Saturday Preview

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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

Leicester Thursday Preview

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Two out of three at Lingfield on Wednesday kept us ticking over nicely. Sometimes it is nice to thumb through the form book at these smaller midweek meetings and back something at short odds. I am not a great fan of odds-on betting but there are a couple of favourites at Leicester on Thursday that are crying out for a win double.

Last year, Sir Michael Stoute used the conditions race on this card to re-launch the career of Telescope. It was only an egg and spoon race but Ryan Moore rode him out to a 24-length victory. It was quite refreshing to see a horse unleashed like that rather than being tip-toed over the line with the jockey risking a neck injury in search of non-existent dangers.

Tomorrow it is the turn of Arod to see if he is in that sort of class following his fine fourth place in the Epsom Derby. He won a Windsor maiden by five lengths before finishing second in the Dante at York. That race was won by subsequent French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby, although I stand by my claim that it is no longer a “Derby” as it is run over a mile and a quarter.

Arod ran well at Epsom without ever threatening to win and now reverts to a mile and a quarter. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam insists that the colt really wants fast ground and he should get that on Thursday. With only two rivals, the danger has to be some kind of silly crawl but Spencer should be able to steer him home in front.

The double can be rounded off nicely by Perfect Persuasion in the fillies’ handicap half an hour later. As my regular followers will know, William Haggas is in terrific form and this filly ought to have added another victory last time out. Ryan Moore was guilty of giving her too much to do at Kempton and she ran on bravely from an impossible position to finish third. I don’t like to criticise Moore too often because he is about the best around at the moment and he can make amends tomorrow.

The main threat may come from Roger Varian’s Laftah who won well enough last time. She races in a hood but seems genuine enough but Perfect Persuasion should have her measure.

Arod 3.25 Leicester @4-11 Paddy Power

Perfect Persuasion 3.55 Leicester @8-11 Paddy Power

Newcastle Saturday Preview

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The withdrawal of Pique Sous from the Northumberland Plate has at least given us a bit of value with our 10-1 about Angel Gabrial. He now looks set to start at about half those odds but it’s a very tough race and we can only hope that he gets luck in running.

George Chaloner has the task of delivering him as late as possible. I have mixed feelings about the number 1 stall as it is better than being stuck out wide. My only concern is that he gets shuffled back early on.

Oriental Fox was desperately unlucky not to win this last year when collared on the line by Tominator. I like horses returning for a race that they have run well in previously but the weight puts me off despite his sixth in the Gold Cup. Suegioo and Nearly Caught are other interesting runners but I’m not keen to get involved further in such a tricky race.

The best bet on the card is You’re Fired for Karl Burke in the closing handicap. He ran on strongly over six furlongs at Doncaster in March and then won over seven furlongs at Haydock. He got himself trapped on the rail behind horses that day but managed to come around the field and get up close home. He is up 6lbs but has an extra furlong to travel and has scope for further improvement.

The William Haggas stable remains in fantastic form and he has two exciting prospects tomorrow. Muthmir has his first start as a four-year-old in the sprint handicap and the vibes are encouraging. He showed plenty of dash last season before disappointing on his final start but he could be better than his rating of 87. His rivals are mostly exposed so it is worth taking a chance on his potential.

Saayerr was a speedy juvenile and he can take the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes to complete the Haggas double. His fourth place in the Free Handicap over seven furlongs reads well with the winner having run well in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas. Saayerr has always looked more of a sprinter so the drop back to six should see him return to winning ways.

Muthmir 2.05 at 7-2 Bet365

Saayerr 2.40 at 3-1 Bet365, BetVictor

Angel Gabrial 3.50 at 10-1* ante-post

You’re Fired 5.00 at 9-4 BetVictor, Paddy Power

Gosforth Park Cup Preview

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Newcastle takes centre stage this weekend with the Pitmen’s Derby over two miles but Friday nights card is all about sprinting. The Gosforth Park Cup may not quite have the prestige of some of the other top sprints but it always attracts a good quality field.

Two horses catch the eye, both impressive winners last time out. The first is the likely favourite Algar who cruised to an effortless victory at Leicester last time out. You don’t often see a jockey having time to look around in the closing stages of a five furlong contest but Daniel Tudhope could hardly keep Algar back in his efforts to keep the winning distance respectable.

That was off a mark of 75 and he races off 86 here including a 6lb penalty. That is hardly ideal but the manner of his victory suggests that he may be up to the task. The problem is the draw as he is in 13 and a low draw is usually best in sprints here. He was also a little slowly away in his previous race at Musselburgh and a slow start would just about finish his chances here.

The other recent winner that I like is Asian Trader, mainly because he is trained by William Haggas. The stable is in absolutely flying form and just about anything he saddles has a chance at the moment. Although he did not have a winner at Royal Ascot, his percentage is staggering at the smaller tracks of late and you have to give Asian Trader serious consideration.

Asian Trader is to be ridden by 7lbs claimer Georgia Cox who rode her first winner on Fathom Five for Shaun Harris at Ripon only last week. The horse won for Stephanie Joannides last time out so obviously goes well for a girl and is suited by a quieter style of riding. He is drawn seven and ought to be competitive from there.

Georgia has ridden the horse before when finishing down the field at Newmarket but that was his first start of the season. At odds of 12-1, the combination look worth a little each-way.

Burning Thread is also up 6lbs for a recent win over Bear Behind at Ayr. That was the first form he has produced since winning at Sandown last season and he is handily drawn in stall 4.

Asian Trader at 12-1 Bet Victor, Ladbrokes

York Friday Preview

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John Gosden came to our rescue again on Thursday when Eastern Belle won the Listed race at Newbury. Unfortunately his runner in the handicap could not land the double but the early 7-2 was enough to keep our noses in front.

It is all about quantity rather than quality at York on Friday with the usual mixture of maiden races and wide open handicaps. Not surprisingly, the top yards are keeping their powder dry for Royal Ascot next week.

There are still some promising types on show in the mile and a quarter three-year-old handicap at 2.30 and preference is just for Richard Hannon’s Tabreek. The chestnut colt has only raced twice, following up his promising debut run at the Craven meeting with a victory at Newmarket the following month.

He was forced to battle hard to fend off the persistent challenge of Venezia by a neck but both look capable of winning their share of races. The early money has been for Luca Cumani’s Newmarket winner Connecticut who is an obvious threat while Arabian Comet is on a hat-trick after winning a couple of minor contests.

True Pleasure looks generously priced as she bids for a hat-trick in the 3.40 race. She is one of four last time out winners in the field and ought to be well exposed at the age of seven. However, I liked the style of her win at Catterick last time and she is worth a bet at double-figure odds.

The big danger is probably Dusky Queen who represents the Richard Fahey – Ryan Moore combination. She is already a course and distance winner although she had precious little to spare.

The pick of the action over at Sandown is the fillies handicap at 3.15 with Token Of Love expected to make up for her Newbury defeat. It was a messy race won by Aertex and she will not have been suited by the slow early pace. The field spread across the track when the pace quickened and she was doing all of her best work at the finish.

The danger here is the improving Ghinia who bolted up at Newmarket despite hanging away from the whip. The handicapper has put her up 8lbs and that may just be enough to give Token Of Love the edge.

Tabreek 2.30 York at 11-2 BetBright

True Pleasure 3.40 York at 11-1 Bet Victor, Coral

Token Of Love 3.15 Sandown 11-8 Stan James

Nottingham Wednesday Preview

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With the Epsom Derby meeting on the horizon, we are faced with pretty modest entertainment for the early part of the week.

Apart from the usual musical chairs among the jockeys, the Derby picture has not really changed in recent weeks with all eyes on the much-hyped Australia. It will be interesting to see whether Ryan Moore elects to partner Chester Vase winner Orchestra or the seemingly more fancied Geoffrey Chaucer.

Wednesday’s Nottingham card sees the unexpected reappearance of Remote in handicap company. I must admit that I never expected to see him run again outside of Group company, let alone over a mile. John Gosden pulled him out of the weakest looking Group 3 in living memory at Sandown last week rather than risk him on the soft ground. The going is good to soft at Nottingham but I’m hoping that his class will see him overcome both the distance and ground.

The Rectifier ran well when third to Yourartisonfire in a competitive race at Haydock but he does not want it any softer while Fort Bastion was second in a York handicap. He only lost out by a short head there to Navajo Chief and had previously won the Thirsk Hunt Cup. Even so, it would be disappointing to see Remote’s colours lowered in this grade.

James Doyle partners him and he also teams up with Bragging for Sir Michael Stoute in the 4.20 race. Interestingly, she meets her Lingfield conqueror Etaab on worse terms and I think that the Haggas filly will come out on top again. The Haggas team are flying and he had six winners from eight runners on Sunday and Monday. I liked the attitude of this filly at Lingfield last time where she quickened all the way to the line and I think she may have too much toe for the Stoute horse.

I don’t usually concern myself too much with Apprentice Handicaps but I expect Rockweiller to follow up his recent Ayr victory in the last. He was under pressure some way out but kept finding more and was eventually eased down to a three and a half-length winning margin. He is up 8lbs but the jockey can claim 3lb so the seven-year-old should be up to the task. He is also a course and distance winner having won here in 2011 off an identical mark.

Remote 3.50 Nottingham

Etaab 4.20 Nottingham

Rockweiller 5.20 Nottingham