The last day of racing before the mouth-watering day of classics on Saturday sees five meetings taking place across the UK and Ireland on Friday, three in the afternoon and two in the evening, and although thoughts are already turning to Epsom, we’re not there yet.
They go at Haydock, Chepstow and Hamilton in the afternoon, while Navan and Wolverhampton carry the evening activity. As ever we’ve taken a good look through the card and we have found two bets to get stuck into.
4.00 Haydock
Preview
Just less than a mile and a half awaits 10 runners for this 3 year old Class 4 handicap. Sir Michael Stoute’s Nashy is the favourite and he’s lightly raced having had just the 2 runs. The step up in trip will suit but he needs to prove he can act on turf.
Finely Tuned looks exposed & needs more so is opposable whilst Dancing Approach is a course & distance winner who’s supposedly 3lbs well in here but is still 6lbs higher than that win last time out. At bigger prices, it’s hard to write off Pot Of Paint & Our Sheila, both of whom narrowly missed the cut.
Betting
Instead, the selection is Red Missile from a William Haggas yard in fine fettle. The yard has a 28% strike rate over the last 2 weeks and 4 of his last 6 runners have been in the winners enclosure.
Form wise, his form is average. He’s had the 3 runs needed for a mark and it’d be a massive surprise if he wasn’t much better than his mark of 77. On debut, he showed promise over 7 furlongs at Newmarket before disappointing at Salisbury on unsuitably firm ground. He then went on the all weather for the one & only time and finished behind impressive Royal Ascot winner Khaloosy. He did, however, stay on in very nice fashion.
This is his first run in a handicap and this son of Battle Of Marengo will be well suited by the extra half mile and the likely soft ground he’ll encounter. It is a competitive race but he’s the best each way value in the race.
Tips
Back Red Missile (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 7.50 888Sport BOG (1/5 odds 1-3)
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7.15 Navan
Preview
A really nice 3 year old Premier handicap over a mile and a quarter, with a select field of 11 going to post. Protagonist shoulders top weight & has won his last 2 but is up another 4lbs whilst Delphi, the Ballydoyle runner, won his maiden last time out on his 2nd career start but has a steep opening mark of 88 to contend with. Baby Zeus beat King Edward VII Stakes runner up Arthurs Kingdom who was turned over at odds of 2/9 & then finished 2nd next time out behind Ravens Cry. He’s a nice type but isn’t thrown in off a mark of 90.
Betting
From Joseph O’Brien’s yard, the selection is Thames River. As a 2 year old, he was seen twice both on the all weather at Dundalk. After finishing 2nd on debut, he won second time up despite showing signs of greenness.
On reappearance, he was made favourite for a good handicap at Gowran Park where the undulations clearly didn’t suit. He could only manage 7th of 9 but the track, the trip & fitness were all possible excuses. Three of today’s rivals reopposes (6th, 8th & 9th) and, even despite that substandard performance, he has the beating of all of them here.
This more galloping track, the extra 2 furlongs and the stiff finish are all in his favour and his mark of 85 must be workable if he’s to fulfil the potential his yard thinks he has. He is entered up in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup so if that’s anywhere near realistic, he needs to be winning or going very close indeed here.
Tips
VOID – Back Thames River (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 9.00 Bet365 BOG (1/5 odds 1-3)
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