Saturday's Meetings Curragh Flat 8 Races 1:30-5:25p.m. Market Rasen N/H 7 Races 1:35-5:00p.m. Cartmel N/H 7 Races 1:40-5:10p.m. Newbury Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m Ripon Flat 7 Races 2:10-5:38p.m. Newmarket(E) Flat 7 Races 4:20-7:38p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 8 Races 5:15-8:45p.m. Haydock(E) Flat 6 Races 6:25-9:00p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Lovely summer jumps card at Market Rasen and the Summer Hurdle (14:40) looks an absolute cracker with any number of unexposed runners contesting. Paul Nicholls pitched Brave Knight in at the deep end last October after a couple of facile novice hurdle victories but he couldn't live with Valgrand in a Grade 2 st Cheltenham and was put away for the winter after that effort. He has had 2 recent runs on the flat - firstly when well beaten at Chester on reappearance (but soft ground against him) and latterly at Ascot where he ran a nice race to finish 5th in what looked a warm enough handicap. He goes here off an opening hurdles handicap mark of 127 and that looks pretty lenient in the context of his neck vicotry over Dodger Long at Newton Abbot last summer. Bits of 6/1 available at the time of writing.
I hope everyone read the At The Races article about the Irish Oaks. It trailed itself as being the article to read to be sure to pick up on all the key trends you need to consider before making your selection. Sweet Jesus, it is a race with seven runners where it is 28/1 bar two runners. The favourite Minnie Hauk is 2/9 and son Joseph's filly is 5/1 second favourite. I can't think of any race where the stats could have less relevance. If wasting one article were not bad enough, At The Races saw fit to do a horse-by-horse guide to the race as well. After several wafflings about the chances of the contenders, the conclusion is that the author could not recommend a single bet because of the restrictive odds and he recommends putting Minnie Hauk into multiples at 2/9 Man am I going to give those bookies a whipping. The space would have been better put to analysing a more competitive heat and ignoring the Group 1 rubbish for the irrelevance that it is. Absolutely shocking quality. Over at Newbury I have backed Ancient Wisdom in the 1.50 at 5/1 He was a very useful type last year but has looked out if sorts this season. He has paid the ultimate price for that though and was gelded not long after his latest start. That could focus his mind and after running in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom last time is now dropped into Listed company and that should see him in a better light. I thought 5/1 underestimated his chance in this class of race. Newbury 1.50 Ancient Wisdom 5/1 Good luck to everyone having a wager.
