Posts Tagged ‘haydock’
Despite the winners continuing to flow like molten lava it’s been a vexing week for Nicky Henderson and his team after seeing Binocular ruled out of the Champion Hurdle due to a muscle problem, before leading light Zaynar lost his unbeaten record over hurdles to our old friend Quwetwo in Kelso’s Morebattle Hurdle.
I wouldn’t rule Zaynar out of the Festival equation just yet given that the sticky ground at the borders track wouldn’t have done him any favours, but he certainly didn’t hurdle with his usual zest despite the frantic urgings of Barry Geraghty.
The firms made their intentions clear by pushing Zaynar out to as big as 8/1 for the Champion, and that looks a fair price to me since I reckon the big one will fall to either Go Native or Khyber Kim.
That said, surely all is not lost! Henderson still has the 2009 Champion Hurdle winner up his sleeve, with Punjabi set to tackle Wincanton’s Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at 3.50pm on Saturday afternoon.
Well, it might be actually, as the horse who hasn’t got his head in front in three attempts since his big day at Cheltenham last March might have to settle for second best once again, with Alan Fleming’s leading light Starluck lining up as a potential fly in the ointment.
This shootout may well come down to which of the pair handles the heavy underfoot conditions best, and although Punjabi took a Fighting Fifth on genuine soft ground, his two runs this season have suggested a better surface would see him to better effect.
He faded quickly on him comeback effort in the International, and then couldn’t find any answer to the challenge laid down by Medermit in Haydock’s Champion Hurdle trial at the end of last month.
With Felix de Giles riding him for only the second time (the pair were second in the 2008 Tote Gold Trophy won by Wingman) he faces no easy task in trying to concede 4lbs to a rival rated on 3lbs inferior on official figures, and who it strikes might cope equally well with really gruelling conditions.
Starluck looked better than ever when coasting to victory on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham in October.
He then led everywhere bar on the line when second to Mr Thriller on soft ground at Haydock, and next up posted a brilliant effort when second to Go Native in the Christmas Hurdle.
He only failed there by a short head, and a reproduction of that effort after a nice break will be enough to win this.
There are question marks about frost and waterlogging pretty much everywhere you go this weekend, and up at Haydock my good mate Lord Culcheth is keeping a 24 hour vigil on the BBC weather website hoping their top quality card is going to escape the forecast frost.
If it does you can be sure he’ll be parading up and down the champagne bar in his Tesco machine washable suit trying to impress any cougars in the vicinity, frothing at the mouth after a carefully plotted assault on an unsuspecting estate agent went west earlier in the week.
He may be able to placate himself at least partially though by backing Russian Flag in Ascot’s 4.20pm, but only if Uttoxeter is off as the seven year old is doubly declared with a preferred and tougher looking assignment at the Staffordshire track.
Only six are scheduled to go to post for the 2m 1f Ascot race, and if he does appear there I think he’ll take all the beating given his consistent recent record and the fact he gets in at the bottom of the weights.
Never out of the first two in five starts this season he can benefit from his usual hold up tactics to come fast and late and beat this inconsistent bunch in the hands of conditional Alex Merriam.
If Uttoxeter does survive then have a few quid each way on Alex Hales’s Roseneath in the three mile handicap chase at 3.30pm.
I was at Huntingdon a few weeks ago when he jumped a fence in public for the first time, winning under a canny ride from Noel Fehily.
This six year old Saddlers’ Hall gelding out of a Mandalus mare was very moderate as a hurdler, but he might have a sliver of ability over the larger obstacles, and can build on that promising beginning in a weak race.
Good luck!
Saturday’s tips:
3.30 Uttoxeter – Bet Totepool At totesport.com Handicap Chase – 9 Roseneath (each way)
3.50 Wincanton – Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle – 2 Starluck (win)
4.20 Ascot – Trisoft Handicap Chase – 6 Russian Flag (win)
Posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago
Tags: Ascot, barry geraghty, Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle, binocular, Champion Hurdle, go native, haydock, khyber kim, Medermit, nicky henderson, punjabi, Roseneath, Russian Flag, starluck, Uttoxeter, Wincanton, Zaynar
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, tips, totesport | No Comments »
A field of 17 go to post in a fiercely competitive renewal of the Boylesports Gold Cup this afternoon at 2.25pm, and as the headline suggests I’m pinning my hopes on local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies bagging the big handicap chase with improving seven year old Oscar gelding Razor Royale in the hands of Paddy Brennan.
The fashion of his last appearance, in which he hacked up in an 0-140 Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase at the Paddy Power Meeting, seeing off nearest pursuer The Sawyer by a distance, puts this likeable type in with genuine each way claims.
His work at home has been outstanding since then, and connections are quietly confident this afternoon.
The handicapper whacked him up 11lbs for his November win and rightly so, but that puts him in with a lovely racing weight of 10st 11lb, and with track, trip and ground to suit it’s little surprise Pricewise has found a home for him this morning.
Be quick and nick some 11/1 with any of Boylesports, Coral or Stan James.
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Posted 3 months, 1 week ago
Tags: bangor, boylesports gold cup, cheltenham, diamond harry, exeter, haydock, massasoit, nigel twiston-davies, paul nicholls, razor royale, tell massini, the minack, the sawyer
Posted in Bookmakers, Boylesports, Coral, Horse Racing, Jumps, stan james, tips | No Comments »
The rain might be laying siege to various parts of the UK, but the expected deluge is yet to hit Haydock and all being well it’s all systems go for a top notch double header from both Ascot and the Newton-le-Willows track live on C4 on Saturday afternoon.
With Sunday boasting a cracking Aintree and Navan menu there’s plenty to look forward to for punters.
Before then one place where they’ve certainly had their fair share of the downpour is borders track Kelso, and Friday afternoon’s card includes a couple I fancy, with Gloucestershire handler Nigel Twiston-Davies (fresh from picking up his leading trainer award at the Cheltenham Open Meeting) sending novice chaser Little Josh on the long trek north (Biotal Beginners’ Chase 1.50pm).
He’ll go on the very testing ground as his win in bottomless ground at Chepstow in February testifies, and if he’s none the worse for an unfortunate capsize at Cheltenham last friday he can gain his first success over fences here, given that his first spin over the larger obstacles yielded a pleasing second to Door Boy at Aintree, and his yard are typically prospering at this time of year.
He was the best of these over hurdles, and should win with a bit to spare here as his cramped odds imply.
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Posted 4 months ago
Tags: Aintree, alan king, Ascot, Bet365, Betfair Chase, Cheltenham Open Meeting, Chepstow, garleton, haydock, hennessy, imperial commander, kauto star, kelso, little josh, master minded, mister chancer, navan, nigel twiston-davies, notre Pere, paddy power, stan james, sue smith, tjade collier, totesport
Posted in Bet365, Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, paddy power, stan james, tips, totesport | No Comments »
A year ago the heavens opened, and what should have been a day to remember at Haydock Park turned into empty car parks and a sodden track saturated by a constant downpour, a situation that left us with a rather skinny programme for two hours that afternoon!
Now, a shade over 24 hours before Kieren Fallon begins what certain quarters of the press have taken to calling ‘phase two’ of his career, we’re hoping for better luck as the Newton-le-Willows track stages its ever popular Betfred Sprint Cup card.
My suspicion is that Fred, who had the misfortune to employ me for three years, might well be handing over his biggest sponsored prize (apart, of course, from the annual Betfred & Birchwood Shopping Centre Best Dressed Shellsuit Competition) to Fallon a little after 3.30pm, once the former champ has booted home 7/2 (totesport) shot High Standing in the Group 1 Sprint Cup.
£100 Free Bet When you Join and bet with Totesport this Weekend
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Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Tags: betfred sprint, bets, betting, c4, Channel 4 Racing, haydock, high standing, horse racing, jj the jet plane, kieren fallon, monsieur chevalier, morning line, odds, richard hannon, tips, tom lee, weekend
Posted in Bet365, Betfred, Bookmakers, Flat, Horse Racing, ladbrokes, paddy power, tips, totesport | No Comments »
The lull in between Glorious Goodwood and York’s Ebor Meeting might not throw up the best couple of weekend’s racing of the year, but fear not - there are winners a plenty still to be found, here’s the pick of the weekend action.
On Saturday the fillies take centre stage at Newmarket in the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at 3pm. It looks a good renewal too, and the one carrying my cash will be Henry Cecil’s unexposed Chachamaidee, who made a very good impression when third in Royal Ascot’s Albany Stakes last time out.
A Lingfield winner in June on her first ever racecourse spin she’s been brought along in typical unrushed fashion by her master trainer, she’ll love the step up in trip, and can make the frame at the least.
Back her each way at 5/1 with Stan James, not forgetting entries in the Lowther, Fillies’ Mile and Dewhurst pointing the way to greater things on the horizon.
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Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Tags: chachamaidee, channel 4, deauville, duncan, haydock, horse racing, manifest, naaqoos, newmarket, offers, opus maximus, racing, tip, tips, tom lee
Posted in Bet365, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Flat, Horse Racing, VCBet, paddy power, tips | No Comments »
Positively itching to get back on a racecourse after a few days layed up on doctor’s orders this Saturday’s trip to Newbury simply cannot come soon enough, and with it the chance to see the next stage in the rise and rise of William Haggas’s brilliant four year old High Standing in the Shadwell Stakes at 2.20pm.
Making hay of late in handicap company High Standing produced a cracking effort to mow them down in Royal Ascot’s Wokingham Stakes, coming late in the final 75 yards to claim top weight Asset, and this is the day we find out if he really is good enough to make the transition from talking horse to the real deal.
He’s long been spoken of as a potential Group horse running in handicaps, and having finished first or second on his last eight appearances, and in doing so risen to a mark of 105, he’s more than earned a tilt at a decent Group prize.
This’ll be no walk in the park though, with some battle hardened types set to line up, including comeback horse War Arstist (third in the 2008 running of the July Cup), plus Prime Defender, Icelandic and Edge Closer.
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Posted 8 months, 1 week ago
Tags: agente parmigiano, best, betting, channel 4, clive cox, cumana bay, haydock, high standing, horse racing, huntdown, jim boyle, john francome, lingfield, morning line, newbury, odds, pollys mark, racing, richard hannon, slip, tip, tips, tom lee, weekend, william haggas
Posted in Bet365, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Flat, Horse Racing, Sport Betting, VCBet, ladbrokes, paddy power, tips | No Comments »
Sweltering conditons and the 48 hour declaration of Guineas and Derby hero Sea The Stars means they’ll be packing into Sandown Park on Saturday afternoon for what looks set to be a top notch card at the Esher venue.
Sandown has to be one of my favourite tracks be it on the Flat or over the sticks – you can pretty much guarantee a decent crowd for the better days, the racing tends to be well above average, the facilities are in good nick and the viewing is excellent. That said they do have very excitable car park attendants, but you can’t have it all…..
Check out the latest Betting Offers from leading bookmakers for all this weekend’s Racing Action
Coral sponsor their big day on the level and have cleverly come up with some catchy new race titles for the afternoon’s action; of particular interest is the Coral Challenge Handicap over a mile at 2.40pm.
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Posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Tags: ace of hearts, Aidan O'Brien, betting, britannia stakes, Channel 4 Racing, Coral, coral eclipse, coral marathon, desert deer, falcativ, haydock, horse racing, judgethemoment, lalysos, luca cumani, mirrored, morning line, odds, rip van winkle, ryan moore, sandown, sea the stars, sir michael stoute, tom lee, weekend tips, william haggas
Posted in Bet365, Bookmakers, Coral, Flat, Horse Racing, Sport Betting, paddy power, tips, william hill | No Comments »
A perfect forecast and six meetings across the country mean it’s time to slap on the Hawaiian Tropic and get fired into the best of this weekend’s racing action, and with the Channel 4 Racing cameras stationed at Goodwood, Haydock and York for an 8-race bonanza, there’s punting opportunities a plenty.
Here at picturesque Goodwood it isn’t quite as hot as the 30 degrees we enjoyed in Rome in midweek, but I don’t mind sacrificing a few degrees when there isn’t a knife wielding Italian attempting to stab you in the backside lurking around every corner and behind every building, although the ageing parking attendant wielding a megaphone in the press car park does look pretty menacing in his fluorescent vest.
On a more serious note, the Sussex track should be applauded for their various initiatives in trying to get more people to come racing – it’s a debate inspired by the much discussed ’Ben or Brian’ saga, and one we’ve been chewing over on the Morning Line the last coupe of weeks – and having got more than 9,000 to their new bank holiday fixture last Monday (many of them first time children) Goodwood are doing at least as well as anyone.
Free Bets From Leading Bookmakers to be claimed on all this weekend’s Racing
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Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Tags: bahamian babe, Channel 4 Racing, earlsmedic, free bets, goodwood, haydock, high standing, horse racing tips, morning line, premio loco, shifting star, tom lee, weekend racing, willie haggas, york
Posted in Bet365, Betfair, Bluesq, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Flat, Horse Racing, Sport Betting, VCBet, ladbrokes, paddy power, tips | No Comments »
The locals will be out in force on Town Moor tomorrow for a decent Doncaster card, and I can’t resist having a few quid each way on Medicinal at 13/2 with Sportingbet in their big race at 3.00pm.
The South Yorkshire track has taken the rain reasonably well, with the ground currently good to soft, and Champion trainer Paul Nicholls holds an especially strong hand in the contest with three runners, including favourite I’msingingtheblues, who has excelled in bossing some small fields (he beat Calgary Bay here before Christmas), but steps into handicap chase territory for the first time.
It’ll be fascinating to see how much more rain they have at Doncaster, since I’msingingtheblues (as short as 11/4 with Stan James) has never run on ground more testing than the current conditions, and was once pulled out of a race at Uttoxeter with soft ground cited as the reason for his withdrawl.
Medicinal however posted his best effort over the larger obstacles last time out, when winning a decent 0-140 handicap at Haydock in November, a race in which they went off at a fierce clip, and if he can brush up on his jumping (which nearly derailed an excellent performance that day), then it’s very hard to envisage the selection not making the frame at a fair each way price.
The form of his Haydock win hasn’t been overly advertised, although the seventh horse Presenting Copper has been making waves, winning competitive races over fences and hurdles at Chepstow and Cheltenham in the following eight weeks.
The switch to Ditcheat seems to have brought about the best in Medicinal, and he’s certainly been in good heart since leaving Edward O’Grady last year. Nicholls also fits the tongue tie once again, an aid which seems to have done the trick since his only other start for Nicholls resulted in a good third at Aintree back in October.
He’ll love the ground, Sam Thomas keeps the ride, and despite a 10lb hike in the ratings for his Haydock win, he gets in with a handy 10st 10lb here as a result of Nicholls other runner Andreas compressing the weights.
Of the remaining fancied runners I’d have to put a line through I’m So Lucky with David Pipe’s string so bang out of form – there’s no doubt Pipe junior is a seriously good handler, but he didn’t seem at all confident when I chatted to him at Wincanton on Thiursday, and it’s a waiting game for his string, as he’ll be banging in the winners as soon as they’re back on colour.
Doctor David is seriously interesting on his handicap chase debut – he’s another exciting young horse with a tall reputation who’s been bossing small field novice chases and will love the ground and flat track – he’ll be a genuine danger starting off on a mark of 144, but providing his jumping has been worked on at the Ditcheat academy then I’m more than happy to invest in Medicinal each way at 13/2.
Posted 1 year, 1 month ago
Tags: andreas, betting, calgary bay, channel 4, david pipe, doctor david, doncaster racecourse, form, haydock, imsingingtheblues, medicinal, odds, paul nicholls, Sam Thomas, tip, tips, tom lee
Posted in Bookmakers, Horse Racing, Jumps, Sport Betting, sportingbet, stan james, tips | No Comments »
The Channel 4 cameras head for Haydock & Newcastle this weekend, and for those of us braving the betting ring at the former, it should be pretty lively to put it mildly, with all the North West Premiership sides otherwise engaged, meaning thousands of wasted locals in full ‘works-out’ party mood trying to attack us as we cower in the corner.
If you’ve never witnessed two scousers dressed as Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer doing the Scoop6 shuffle in a vain attempt to get on tv, Haydock’s the place to go to break your duck.
Joking apart, the atmosphere will be fantastic, so if you’re sick of Christmas shopping there’s no finer way to spend the first day of the holiday period.
No finer way that is, if you can back a winner or two, and we’ll head to Ascot for the two best bets of the day.
There’s a rumour doing the rounds that Father Christmas wears red & white, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion he might be wearing green and gold on Saturday as JP McManus holds a massive chance of a big race double at the track.
First up at 1.40pm there’s no way I’m going to desert Nicky Henderson’s Binocular in the re-arranged Boylesports International – I think they’ll be playing for places in behind the selection in a race they’ve moved mountains to have re-scheduled.
Fair play to all involved, not least Ascot racecourse plus both Boylesports and Ladbrokes who’ve worked together to get what looks an unmissable contest back on the calendar following a soggy day at Cheltenham last Saturday.
Already an antepost investment for the Champion Hurdle, Binocular is a name that’s cropped up on plenty of occasions in this column, and the four-year-old can enhance his tall reputation at the expense of stablemate, Chomba Womba and Emma Lavelle’s Crack Away Jack.
Placed in listed company in France and versatile as regards the ground, don’t forget he had Crack Away Jack some six and a half lengths adrift in a Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle over course and distance back in January.
He followed that up by justifying odds-on favouritism in the Adonis at Kempton, before finding only the more physically mature seven-year-old Captain Cee Bee too good in a rare old scrap in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
He then re-emerged in spectacular fashion putting the Triumph Hurdle winner Celestial Halo to the sword with brutal ease at Aintree some three weeks later.
Frustrated by the weather last Saturday his only public appearance so far this season was little more than a schooling exercise against inferior rivals at Haydock on Betfair Chase day.
Connections says he more than ready to rubber stamp his place at the head of the Champion Hurdle betting, so help yourself to a bit of 13/8 with either Boylesports, Betfred or Totesport for this weekend’s assignment.
Little more than an hour later, a maximum field of 21 go to post for a fascinating looking Ladbrokes Hurdle, and it’s another Henderson inmate who’ll be carrying my cash in the shape of Aigle D’Or
Ever since the Greatwood when the Halling gelding put in a massive shift as red hot favourite, shaking up a horse who in retrospect was very well treated on a lenient mark of 124 in the shape of Numide, this race has been the target and I can’t resist a slice of the 11/2 generally available as an each way investment.
A lack of confidence by connections in Ashkazar puts me off the second favourite, and greater dangers may lurk at the bottom of the weights with Philip Hobbs’ duo Belcantista and Prince Taime having scraped into the handicap as numbers 20 and 21.
Belcantista is especially interesting having been 25/1 on Monday, before some bloke called JP McManus decided to buy himself an early Christmas present – no surprise he’s subsequently been the antepost gamble of the week, with the buzz horse now only 6/1 in a place.
That said it’ll have to be a good horse that sees off Aigle D’Or. I don’t take any great pleasure in tipping up two favourites in one column, but I do believe these two have oustanding chances to make it a McManus-Henderson-McCoy Saturday treble.
Good luck!
Saturday’s Racing Tips
1:40 Ascot – Binocular to win – 13/8 at either Boylesports or Betfred
2:45 Ascot – Aigle D’or each way – 11/2 at Totesport
Posted 1 year, 3 months ago
Tags: Aigle D'Or, Ascot, belcantista, binocular, Boylesports Internatioanl, Champion Hurdle, Channel 4 Racing, cheltenham, cheltenham festival, chomba womba, crack away jack, Emma Lavelle, haydock, JP McManus, kempton, newcastle, nicky henderson, prince taime, tony mccoy
Posted in Betfred, Bookmakers, Boylesports, Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing, Jumps, Main Events, Sport Betting, tips, totesport | No Comments »
