Wednesday's Meetings Newmarket Flat 7 Races 1:15-4:45p.m. Cheltenham N/H 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Beverley Flat 8 Races 1:40-5:40p.m. Leopardstown Flat 8 Races 2:00-6:00p.m. Kempton(E) A/W 8 Races 4:40-8:15p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Place a bet in the Virtual Betting shop here Good Luck
You may have noticed that the mercurial talent that is SINGLEFARMPAYMENT is out tomorrow. He returns to the theatre of dreams at Cheltenham and I m sure the question on all your lips is 'will we see the horse TANK in to the race and then put it to bed over the last defeating some pretty decent opposition in the process?' Get ready for some nail-biting action.. Very exciting to see how he fares. COME ON LAD!! If he wins tomorrow I really do think I ll burst...
Oh and for your info really, I haven't stuck a couple of hundred quid on....I don't have a bean on him but it worked last time so I am hoping it works again. P.s Ron or whoever could we please have some better emojis?
TV cards marked Nmkt 150 Going Places 225 Percy’s Lad 300 Global Giant 335 Saffron Beach 410 Colour Of Light 445 Mohaafeth Chel 205 Coole Cody 240 Captain Tom Cat Good luck all
In recent times the European Free Handicap has become something of a nothing race but this year’s line up is quite interesting. Of most interest is the favourite Naval Crown, who beat much more touted stablemate Master Of The Seas at Meydan last time; and, therefore, has the advantage of race fitness. Topweight Ontario was already running over a mile last term, including second in the Royal Lodge so I am not sure the drop back here is a good step and O’Brien has a habit of sending his lesser lights to this meeting simply to gauge the opposition. Tactical won at Royal Ascot and was fourth in the Middle Park and I think it is fair to ignore his Dewhurst effort as he also ran badly in the Prix Morny on soft ground. Royal Scimitar is another who I can see going on from his three juvenile runs; and I can see the latter two being up in the van here. In recent times, the Earl Of Sefton has been won by some decent performers and perhaps Global Giant will turn out to be one but it will just be a watching brief given the small field. The Nell Gwyn has attracted a good sized field, I think primarily because of lack of opportunity for four or five lightly-raced fillies. There is plenty to like about Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Saffron Beach, winner of both her starts, but it was soft when she collected over course and distance with Mamba Wamba behind. Divine Light only has potential to bring to the table after winning her sole start at this track and trip, so the market may be the best indication of how she is regarded. LOVE IS YOU is another unbeaten Kingman filly, winning on debut at Ascot from the rear but collecting the Radley Stakes from nearer the pace on desperate ground; and she is my choice on this quicker ground as she has already shown adaptability as far as race tactics. Sacred has not raced beyond six furlongs, ran like a drain in the Cheveley Park and has it to prove over the extra furlong. The dark horse of the race is yet another Kingman, Tawahub, who needs to improve a lot on her Chelmsford win in October and may be here to see if she is good enough. In the maiden race after the Nell Gwyn, Snow Lantern has been taken out so surely her participation in the 1000 Guineas must now be in doubt, given her lack of experience or opportunities before the first weekend in May. Both her parents won the HQ Classics but she may have to look at a trip to Ireland after finding a suitable prep race.
The Nell Gywn is fairly open but perhaps unlikely to shake up the Guineas betting. Saffron Beach is 2/2 but while her first race threw up several future winners it was mostly poor level form. Her second win has not worked out very well at all and I have to be against her at the price. Divine Light is by Kingman and she is 1/1 suggesting improvement is guaranteed on her second start. The big worry is that her win has thrown up 15 unplaced efforts from 15 subsequent runs, so if it is the opposite of "Franked", may it be suggested that the form has been "****ed"? Sacred had good form early last year but had seconditis afterwards before looking like she was caught up by other fillies on her final start. The trip is a question for her today, given that she was fast enough to be a good second in the 5F Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. I thought Love Is You had the most appealing profile. She is already at a reasonable level and the trip is no concern. In fact, the only worry would be the unusual drop from a mile debut to 7F on her second start. The ground was heavy the second time she ran, so would have been testing enough and my main concern is that some of these may have more basic speed. Roger Charlton doesn't taste much top class success these days but I suspect that Love Is You may be good enough to run in the Guineas, if not quite up to winning it. She needs to win today to cement her place in the field and I backed her last night at 3/1, with none of the others appealing to me at their odds. 3.35 Newmarket Love Is You
I think you've got the most likely winner with Love Is You, but I can't resist a dabble on Ventura Diamond who showed a good attitude last year and I think that she can outrun her mark and price. She is likely to run prominently, could get a relatively easy time of things and I think she could be more forward than the majority of these. A small win bet and a slightly larger place bet for me on Ventura Diamond. Probable ability to trade the win bet for profit in the run too.
The Free Handicap used to throw up some decent types. Mystiko went on to win the Guineas in his season and Anshan won rated 112 before going on to be 3rd to Tirol in the Guineas. It has been a lesser quality in more recent times though and this year's top-weight is the exposed looking Ontario, whose only win was as 2/5 Fav in a Maiden. I don't fancy him to concede weight all round, particularly given disappointing runs from Arturo Toscanini and Duke Of Mantua from the O'Brien stable yesterday. Naval Crown beat Master Of The Seas in Meydan last time but he was given an easy lead that day, seemingly setting the pace for the odds-on stable mate who pulled way too hard and subsequently failed to reel in his stablemate, despite making some progress late. Life will be tougher for Naval Crown today and he has to give weight to most of the field into the bargain. I think he is a poor value favourite at 9/4. Tactical was pretty busy in good company last year but I had a feeling he might not keep pace as the better 2YO's started appearing. I am not sure if he as as much scope of some of them here and I passed on him for that reason I was torn between two with very similar profiles. Royal Scimitar and Legal Attack both made winning debuts before good efforts upped in class. I preferred Legal Attack, who was beaten a fair way on his second start but that was a Group 3 race in France and he then seemed to tire into 4th on soft ground after leading going into the final furlong at York in a Listed race. A slight concern with the 7th furlong today but the stable are in decent form and there seems to have been confidence behind him each time he has run. 2.25 Newmarket Legal Attack 13/2
17:00 Cheltenham - Nelson River (Should be suited by the good ground. LTO run in the Coral Cup can be ignored; very little chance in that lotto race! Good 3lb claiming conditional takes the ride for trainer Tony Carroll. 10/1 readily available at time of writing.)