Saturday's Meetings Leicester Flat 7 Races 1:00-4:30p.m. Sandown Flat 8 Races 1:15-5:15p.m. Naas Flat 7 Races 1:20-4:50p.m. Haydock Flat 7 Races 1:30-4:55p.m. Beverley Flat 7 Races 2:17-5:40p.m. Bellewstown(E) N/H 8 Races 4:35-8:05p.m. Carlisle(E) Flat 6 Races 6:20-8:50p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Place a bet in the Virtual Betting shop here Good Luck
I guess there will be some griping about the small field Eclipse but at least we get the clash of generations with St Mark's Basilica looking a really high class 3YO, up against proven performers in Addeybb and Mishriff. It would have been nice to see another couple of 3YOs running - Poetic Flare would have been very interesting but I guess this comes too soon after Ascot.
Eclipse; Unless there is rain to soften the ground, I think this is Mishriff's race. He has fast times on a sound surface over 10 and 12f. I think 10f is his best distance and his form over 12f will stand him in good stead with Sandown having a stiff 10f. Last year I earmarked St Mark's Basilica for the 2000Gns provided the ground came up soft. It didn't and he didn't run. I suspect the ground will not bring out the best in him tomorrow. I think the same is true of Addeybb, a grand horse who I would love to see win. El Drama has never run on a sound turf surface so who knows Lancashire Oaks. This should go to Alpinista, assuming he has come on from his first run this season when scrambling home from the consistent Makawee (strange that he is as much as 16/1 based on that). But that was a slow race and Alpinista can go faster (not sure if Makawee can) 7/4 each, 15/2 the double
I have been following Came From The Dark and he went close to reeling in favourite Lazuli last time out. Only failed by a neck that day at Newmarket, I feel he can get revenge this time and I fancy him to score this time for an Ed Walker stable picking away quite nicely. Lazuli is smart but was only 5th in this race last season when I fancied him. Arecibo was runner up to Oxted in the King's Stand but he was an outsider there and sometimes these Group 1 dropped to Group 3 scenarios do not play out as one might expect them to. I'll stay loyal to Came From The Dark who seems to have cemented himself as a 5F performer and bypassing Royal Ascot may have been a positive decision for his chances here. 1.50 Sandown Came From The Dark 7/2 Montatham won the Coral Challenge last year at amazingly skinny odds for a Handicap. 6/5 is short enough when all horses are weighted to hold the same chance. He only won by a short head that day and is 9 lbs higher in the Handicap ratings now. His odds of reward are better at 11/2 this time but he needs a new personal best here. Magical Morning was only 8th last time out but that was in a field of 30 for the Royal Hunt Cup. I expect him to be in better shape from that seasonal debut and Gosden can wring enough improvement I feel. This is only his 8th career start and I think he can score here. 2.25 Sandown Magical Morning 6/1
ATALIS BAY 15/2 Sandown 1:50 The Charge has been won seven times in the last ten years by three year olds and this highly progressive young horse can enhance the record of his generation. It’s a step up in grade but he is going the right way and is in fine fettle. Crucially for me he is already a course and distance winner.
An EW Lucky 15 with the extra places on Skybet for me. 2.05 Hay Reverend Hubert 2.25 Sand Trais Fluors 2.40 Hay La Lune 3.15 Hay Alounak That was the easy bit of my day, now try to stay sober until 8pm tonight Karlos. Have a good day all, good luck with yours
Scoop 6/Ew Lucky 63/Acca: 1:50 Sandown - Atalis Bay 13/2 (Sorry Stick. they're a yard i follow closely, they've hit form and this is their only runner today. like this one a lot) 2:05 Haydock - Contact 9/1 2:25 Sandown - Acquitted 5/1 2:40 Haydock - La Lune 15/2 3:00 Sandown - Glesga Girl 12/1 3:15 Haydock - Brilliant Light 16/1
A couple of my Royal Ascot losers are out today, so I expect one of them to go in at a big price without the burden of my money. The first big all-aged race of the season is a huge disappointment. Presumably Love is giving it a miss because of the prospect of soft ground – precisely why she is a poor ante post bet for the Arc. The four that do face the starter may give us a good indication of whether the Classic generation are mediocre or poor. St Mark’s Basilica has a good claim to being one of the best middle distance three year olds (unless the French three year olds are worse than ours). With the weight allowances, he ought to win if good enough. Definitely only one to watch though as tactics may decide it. The Coral Charge at Sandown is one of those annoying races where horse A beat horse B beat horse C but now there are penalties involved, so horse A should not win this time. That is my problem. The bare handicapping says that Came From The Dark should get revenge on LAZULI on three pounds better terms, but I do not buy into that. The Godolphin gelding is on the upgrade and I think he will find the necessary improvement to offset the penalty and win again. Why would they be here otherwise? Place money? Not the Godolphin line of business. Sixth behind the aforementioned pair in the Palace House was Arecibo, who won a handicap before chasing home Oxted in the King’s Stand, demonstrating the unpredictability of sprinters. Over at Haydock, I suppose that I am not the only one that is looking at Sir Mark Prescott’s ALPINISTA as some sort of banker for the Lancashire Oaks. Her collateral form is better than any of the other runners can muster and it is hardly like she ran badly last time out. She really does look to have been tuned for the race, with ground and distance not a problem. What am I missing here? The Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel was in a different post code to the winner whilst the Prescott filly was five lengths behind Love in the Yorkshire Oaks last term. I expect that Dubai Fountain will be left to do the donkey work, so Morris had better not give Norton too soft a lead.
Alpinista & Mishriff - Win double Count D'Orsay & Shine For You - Win singles & EW double Contact, Escobar & Alounak - EW Patent. Good luck everybody
each time I look at the card for the Eclipse I come up with a different winner. I wouldn't be surprised to see Adeybb win it though. I like the look of the progressive Atalis Bay and Statement elsewhere on the Sandown card. Up at Haydock Dhushan looks a worthy favourite in the 2.05 but Alphinista is drifting in the 2.40. Will take on wjth La Lune. In the Old Newton Cup I will take a chance on Soto Sizzler. This horse was very unlucky at Epsom, when he missed the break at the start, but otherwise would have won easily as he stayed on well to still finish 2nd.
Just a little bit if a moan here, the only racing thats free to air on tv today is on itv. Now of the Sky Channels, At The Races do not have any of the UK racing to show as the subscription channel UK Racing has em all. Yes i pay for Sky and the Sports package but ATR comes with it but surely the authorities must make sure some races are spread around and not just on the one. Especially at the weekend and the larger audiences available... Moan over...
Saturday Sinners are here -----> Looking for ew thievery in a big way today! San 150 Happy Romance ew 225 Magical Morning 300 Aunt Bridy ew 335 Mishriff Hay 205 Tashkhan 240 Makawee ew 315 Win O’Clock ew Good luck all
Sandown 13,50 Lazuli 6/1 Naas 13,55 More Than A Price 12/1 e/w four places Leicester 16,30 Order Of St. John 11/1 e/w four places Bellewstown 17,05 Cullaghs Star 11/2 bet365, others 9/2 19;05 Let Her Flow 11/2 19,35 Inviction 12/1 e/w four places Good luck all.
The Eclipse is tricky despite the small field. I can't have St Mark's Basilica at the odds despite him being a double French Classic winner. The French 3YO horses look a poor bunch and St Mark's Basilica was fortunate to meet Poetic Flare on a non-going day for the Bolger horse. Rank outsiders chased St Mark's Basilica home in both the French Guineas and Derby, casting some doubt, for me at least, on the form. All of the O'Brien colt's best form seems to be on soft and there is enough reason to think he is poor value at 11/10. Addeybb is a good sort but he is seven now and his best UK form has been on soft. Maybe he will be good enough and he is certainly a better price than St Mark's Basilica but surely time will catch up with him soon. Mishriff had an excellent season after springing a surprise over Waldkonig last year. He is well travelled and in some ways his form is harder to evaluate but he surely has scope for further improvement after only ten starts. I feel he could be a big player this year and have backed him to add another win to his CV today. Makes no sense to me that he is more than double the odds of the favourite. 3.35 Sandown Mishriff 9/4
Dont watch much South African racing but the Durban July is their best race and its off at 2pm today. Got The Greenlight looks the obvious one in a race that has been dominated by horses aged 3-4, but strictly at the weights on last years race Do It Again should have every chance of reversing form with him. Do It Again has won the race twice at 3 and 4, and was a close 3rd as a 5yo last season, he is trying to become the first horse ever to win the race 3 times and the first 6yo since 1980. The trainer has won the last 4 renewals and the stable jockey has chosen Do It Again, with a 9 pounds pull for a short head and at over double the price of the the favourite, he looks likely to run a big race again in an attempt to make history. Greyville 2.00 - Do It Again 13/2 (15/2 betfair)
