Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
There’s some good-quality racing at Haydock and Salisbury today, though I shall be watching without an interest when Richard Pankhurst makes his long-awaited reappearance at the Merseyside track. He should be up to winning but the trainer warned this paper yesterday that he will be “ring-rusty” and I can cheerily let him go unbacked at odds-on.
Of more appeal is the 4-1 about Chancery (4.40), who made such an impression when hacking up at Ripon two starts ago in what ought to have been a competitive handicap. He looked held by his penalty at York last time and is another 4lb higher here but that was a tougher race in which it paid to be prominent and he did much the best of the hold-up horses.
Chancery has been rated this high before and, in his current mood, it is not at all impossible that he will look as much of a blot today as he did at Ripon. His best form has been at 10 furlongs rather than today’s 12 but I think the extra distance ought to help him if everything else is equal.
For the Dick Poole at Salisbury, the market favours Mayfair Lady, which is perfectly understandable in view of the way she hosed up in a York nursery. But 3-1 looks big about Whatdoiwantthatfor (3.45), from the Richard Hannon yard that has such a good record at this track, close to the stable.
Whatdoiwantthatfor has already proved quite a bit at a high level, having run a close third in a good renewal of the Princess Margaret, from which the first two have won since. She herself followed up at Newbury on soft ground similar to today’s and should be better again with this return to six furlongs.
In the following handicap, I shall oppose Wordcraft, whose ability to cope with this surface is unknown. Bond’s Girl (4.15) has shown some of her best form on soft and this is the best opportunity she’s had all year. She looks fairly treated and generously priced at 9-2.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Tuesday
Khelman 9-2
Dawaa 7-2
Fast And Furious 5-1
Wednesday
Monasada 3-1
Big Generator 9-1
Bernisdale 7-1
And our leaders are. . .
erifder +12
kmill68 +12
... erifder having added Bernisdale to his two Day One winners, while kmill68 had both Bernisdale AND Big Generator yesterday, generating him a big score! (Ugh, sorry). Harrytheactor is third on +8, with wiggy12 next on +7.50.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.35 Haydock, 3.45 Salisbury, 4.40 Haydock.
This week’s prize is a pair of County enclosure tickets to Doncaster for the St Leger a week on Saturday, on 12 September, kindly offered by the racecourse. If you don’t win, you can buy tickets to any of the four days of the Leger festival here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
