Saturday's Meetings Newbury Flat 7 Races 1:25-4:55p.m. Newmarket (July Course) Flat 7 Races 1:40-5:10p.m. Market Rasen N/H 7 Races 1:45-5:15p.m. Chester Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Cartmel N/H 7 Races 2:05-5:30p.m. Ripon Flat 7 Races 2:10-5:35p.m. Curragh Flat 8 Races 3:05-6:55p.m. Lingfield (E) Turf 4 Races 5:40-7:10p.m. A/W 3 Races 7:40-8:40p.m. Haydock (E) Flat 6 Races 6:20-8:55p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
I take practically no interest in NH racing, but I've been drawn into a retirement-home debate about the Market Rasen Summer Hurdle (2.55 tomorrow). Briefly, it looks to be all about John Ferguson. He left five entries in at the beginning of the week, now down to two (Commissioned and Buckwheat) who are likely to front up the early betting. The whisper has been around for Buckwheat ever since he won at Aintree on 12 June, but that was off 130 and it looks, after a lot of re-viewings, as if the race didn't take a lot of winning. He's off a fairly brutal 143 tomorrow, and it's worth noting that the stable have left Commissioned in, with top weight, and are putting up Mikey Ennis, the claimer who won the race for them last year with Purple Bay. Looking at the opposition, you'd expect one of the two to win. Commissioned for me.
Good racing at the curragh tomorrow: 16.15 Dark Alliance 5/1 1pt win Double Mecca's Angel (17.15) and Curvy (17.50) 7/1 3pts win - might be a little shorter now as Mecca's has gone odds on. best of luck all.
8.10 Lingfield- Bennelong -4/1 Favourite has now been scratched in this race my pick a consistent c&d winner and has been running well in defeated and looks on o good mark based on his winning form of 2014
Has the track at haydock turned into a road or something? Non runners galore 18:20 - 2 18:50 - 4 19:25 - 4 19:55 - 5 20:25 - 7 20:55 - 3
Two of the ones I selected last night are already non-runners, presumably because of the going; and there were lots of small fields to steer clear of before the withdrawals. Three weeks ago at Newmarket, there was a cigarette paper between Spirit Raiser and Forest Maiden in the handicap won by Angel Vision, form that the winner has let down. The three year old is a pound worse off for defeat that day and on this flat track, SPIRIT RAISER can confirm the placings and defy the maiden race winner Sealife in the Newbury 2:00. At Newmarket in the 2:15, Lancashire Oaks fourth Jordan Princess receives three pounds from Listed race winner DREAM CHILD, who should be able to defy that concession in a race where many of the contenders have not run for a considerable time, are not good enough or both. The main danger may be Arabian Comet now that her yard are in form. On the other side of the Irish Sea, the fillies take centre stage in the Irish Oaks (5:50); a contest between the lightly-raced and rapidly improving types and the more established early season form. The Epsom Oaks form looks very poor a month later, 50/1 winner Qualify (abysmal in the Irish Derby) is a non-runner and behind were Jack Naylor and Together Forever; the latter may prove to be the best of the Ballydoyle contenders for Seamie Heffernan. Words comes here unbeaten but her 2015 victory was in the Group 3 Munster Oaks against three rivals, so she is easily overlooked in favour of Ribblesdale Stakes winner CURVY, who can extend this season’s winning streak to five under Wayne Lordan. I note that Pleascach has declined a rematch.
Newbury Super Sprint BELVOIR BAY 10/1 Massive promise on both starts, can progress again and has the speed for this mad dash.
14:55 Market Rasen - Hammersly Lake e/w (Very competitive handicap, but N.Henderson's charge might do well dropped in trip. That'll be my Saturday TV dabble, at 12/1 with Willie Hill). Good luck all!
Quite surprised to find Consort, 2.35 Newbury, trading at around 5/4. His Royal Ascot 3rd showed he's at home in far better company than this. Still a short priced favourite, but I'd expected him to be a lot shorter than that.
The punters clearly agreed with my first two selections but we were all wrong: Spirit Raiser (backed from 13/2 into 5/1) had every chance if only it had been ridden by a strong jockey in a finish rather than Hayley Turner. Once again the others allowed William Buick to set the fractions that suited him and he made all on the selection’s old opponent Forest Maiden. Dream Child (11/4 into 2/1fav) was never going to get to Jordan Princess, who changed tactics and made all under Adam Kirby. It does not augur very well for Curvy in the Irish Oaks. She is starting to look like a place bet. I might have to take a chance on hat-trick seeking seven year old Wordiness in the Newbury 4:55 as his principal opponent seems to be the other easy last-time-out winner Castle Combe.
