Today’s best bet, by Chris Cook
You sometimes hear trainers express the hope that such-and-such a horse may be able to “run up a sequence”. Wins are what they’re hoping for but there’s no denying that the veteran Tidal’s Baby has run up quite an impressive sequence of his own this year, having finished second in each of his six races.
“It’s very frustrating,” his jockey, George Downing, says in this morning’s Racing Post. Well, ya don’t say. But perhaps it’s not surprising in view of Tidal’s Baby’s career record of 17 seconds against just three wins. Asked if the horse is ungenuine, Downing replied: “He probably is a little bit.”
Oh well, at least there have been regular dollops of prize money, totalling about £4,300 for the year so far. For a 59-rated horse, that’s not a bad return. He drops into selling company for today’s opener at Brighton and the generous bookies make him just 4-1 to get his first win for four years. I went another way, myself, though I won’t be betting on the race, for him or against him. I sort of hope he can keep his impressive run of seconds going.
Sandown should provide a thorough test for those runners who turn up for tonight’s card, 34mm of rain having fallen yesterday on ground that was already on the soft side of good. A bit of sun today will turn everything nice and gluey.
I don’t think it’ll suit Canberra Cliffs, one of the market-leaders for the opening amateur handicap, but it very well might suit Unison (5.35), a 7-1 shot. Twice a hurdles winner on heavy ground, Unison was also twice a winner of Flat races at this track last August.
The ground was probably too lively for him when he flopped last time on his only run since April. He should give Emma Sayer a good spin.
Cassini (6.45) is a really interesting newcomer in a maiden race on the card, being bred to be good and also to cope with soft ground. By Galileo out of a mare who consistently ran well in the mud, he’s closely related to Cunco and trained, like that one, by John Gosden. There’s 7-1 available.
Pedigree makes me think Medicean El Diablo (7.45) might really appreciate this first encounter with soft ground and he’s a fair 14-1 for the seven-furlong handicap. Twice a winner on sand at the end of last year, he was a good third on his reappearance at Newbury last month. He ought to be sharper now and I note that the first and fourth from that race have won since.
Tips for all Thursday races
Haydock
1.50 Punkawallah 2.20 Diamond Set 2.50 Chickenfortea 3.20 Danish Duke 3.50 Sainted 4.20 Always Thankful 4.50 Indy
Brighton
2.00 Lawfilly 2.30 Taajub 3.00 Macaque 3.30 Curlew River 4.00 Gold Hunter 4.30 Frosting 5.00 Aye Aye Skipper
Yarmouth
2.10 Manthoor 2.40 Paquita Bailarina 3.10 Entangling 3.40 Oh It’s Saucepot 4.10 Deciding Vote 4.40 Miss Pacific 5.10 Ubla
Sandown
5.35 Unison 6.10 Highland Mary 6.45 Cassini 7.15 Dubawi Prince 7.45 Medicean El Diablo (nb) 8.20 Wealth Tax
Newcastle
5.50 Spirit Of The Vale 6.20 Hayward Field 6.55 Cape Bunting (nap) 7.25 Awesometank 8.00 Justice Pleasing 8.30 Epeius 9.00 Indian Raj
Wolverhampton
6.00 Amazing Alice 6.35 Dusky Maid 7.05 Sheriff Garrett 7.35 Tranquil Soul 8.10 Tigerfish 8.40 High End 9.10 Gold Class
