Saturday's Meetings Goodwoid Flat 7 Races 1:30-4:55p.m. Newmarket Flat 7 Races 1:40-5:02p.m. Curragh Flat 8 Races 1:45-5:40p.m. York Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Killarney N/H 8 Races 1:55-5:55p.m. Cartmel N/H 7 Races 2:15-5:35p.m. Redcar(E) Flat 7 Races 4:58-8:00p.m. Windsor(E) Flat 6 Races 5:15-7:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Just a very modest wager on the well-bred, Naqeeb, in the Class-2 Ebor Handicap (15:35) at York, over a distance just short of 1m6f on the expected good ground. Jim Crowley rides for the William Haggas yard. 11/1 (Ladbrokes/BetVictor) top price at time of writing, on the ATR site. E/W best option
I think there is a chance to steal money at York and I am not referring to Audience in the City Of York Stakes, although without a Group 1 penalty he should account for the rivals that he beat in the Lennox at Goodwood. On official ratings he has plenty in hand. It is quite easy to eliminate a few in the opening Strensall Stakes. Checkandchallenge and Flight Plan are out of their depth. Royal Dubai was a flattering fourth at Ascot last time in a Group 2 and was also flattered as runner up in a Group 3 at Epsom. Phantom Flight is dropping in trip and his most recent third to Al Aasy may not be that good with the winner boxed in for a long way but George Scott’s charge could be the pace angle here. Wathnan Racing’s Haunted Dream drops back to a mile after winning a conditions race easily but he was still in another parish when Enfjaar won the John Smith’s Cup. Roger Varian’s gelding looks the best prospect of one of the older horses winning but the last time he won at this trip was a year ago on the kitty litter. Of the three year olds, impeccably bred Task Force was seventh in the Guineas, behind Alyanaabi, mid-division in the Jersey and third in a Goodwood Group 3 so he at least makes the grade. The aforementioned Alyanaabi drops back to the mile where he was fifth in the St James’s Palace but that does not measure up to the clear form horse here: SEE THE FIRE, fourth in the Group 1 Eclipse before a close second to Opera Singer in the Group 1 Nassau; dropping back to a mile today in lesser company.
The (16:10) at York, a Class-2 Handicap sprint over 6f on good-to-firm ground with 19-runners going to post, is certainly a competitive affair. Dare To Hope was an impressive winner of the Great St. Wilfred at Ripon just 7-days ago. Up 6lbs. for this win but that should not stop the gelding from running another solid race today. Well-drawn in Stall-3. Oisin Orr again on board for the Richard Fahey stable. 15/2 (Wm.Hill/Ladbrokes) top price early-doors, on the ATR site, E/W preferred option.
What is it with racing at HQ this season? Except for the big meetings their cards have been poor. Anyone would think that there were no horses anywhere in the area that did not have to travel long distances. Today on Bet365 they are offering betting on various favourite to win by more than a specified number of lengths to try and drum up some punters. Other than the £54k to the winner Auction race the opening novice race is the only non single figure field. Out of those races the only one of interest would be the second race (2:10) where 6yo Dashing Dick looks like the pace angle for 3yo Rosy Affair to try and catch. With Woodhay Wonder out of the Hopeful Stakes (3:55), penalised Quinault might capitalise. The small fields in the two principal races at Goodwood are only down to the deluge of rain in the case of the Prestige Stakes (nine left from thirteen declared, including the original first two in the betting withdrawn) as the Celebration Mile only had five declared for a nearly £90k race. The same story with the two pattern races at The Curragh: four in the Futurity with Ryan Moore on odds-on Henri Matisse and five in the Debutante with Bedtime Story ridiculously short as Ballydoyle continues to make the Irish pattern an annual joke, farming everything with Coolmore blue-bloods. Steering clear of the York handicaps that leaves me with one bet today – and tomorrow’s Deauville pattern races might give me a blank Sunday.
Good luck with that one, turning out just a week after winning a big handicap. My mate and his missus were staying at their daughter’s near York and went to Ripon last week. He broke even on the day entirely because of that one horse. He backed it in the course betting shop at 11/10 to finish in the first four and backed it with one of the bookies for the win. I wonder if he has done it today as he usually does a Lucky 15 on Saturday’s TV racing.
Just can't see a bet at York today. The Ebor looks a lottery. When I looked earlier I couldn't see why Epic Poet was fav, but it isn't now. Difficult to see what should be fav. Queenstown has nothing like Kyprios to beat today but who knows how much Kyprios could have won by in those two meetings. As I can't make a case for anything being favourite, I'll just take a stab at an outsider and the one that appeals most is Onesmoothoperator at 33/1. Very risky logic but he won lto on the AW at Newcastle (Northumberland Plate Handicap (Heritage Handicap) over 2m½f Standard To Slow in a very fast time (fast by 5.21s) and 14 secs faster than the consolation race 30 mins earlier. If he can reproduce that by going for home a long way out, he might scrape a place. 33/1 6 places (B365), 22/1 8 places (Skybet)
17:20 York - Have Secret e/w (Fairly consistent, but bit of an unlucky horse. Cheekpieces tried for first time)
Not sure that I would call it a lottery but recent results demonstrate that the most valuable handicap in Europe has now become, like the Cesarewitch, a race for trainers of slow old plodders that can go a little quicker without obstacles in the way. First six: Magical Zoe – NH trainer Kihavah – dual code trainer Oneforthegutter – dual code trainer Epic Poet – flat trainer Hipop de Loire – NH trainer Sea King – flat trainer If you did eight places with Skybet, then you got paid on Onesmoothoperator in seventh. Just as well the ground was quick or the NH horses would have probably filled all the places. You can throw the form book out the window for most of the valuable staying races these days as the winner won’t have any flat form, although in fairness Magical Zoe was third in a Group 3 last time out.
