11am Wincanton and Thurles pass early morning inspections
Tony Paley: This afternoon’s meetings at Thurles and Wincanton will both go ahead as planned after the tracks passed morning inspections.
Officials at the Irish track, where Champagne Fever will race against Don Cossack in the Kinloch Brae Chase, had been due to check conditions at 8am with an unsettled overnight forecast causing some concern.
However, the go-ahead was given earlier than planned as, despite 10 millimetres of rain at the track, the course is fit to race. Horse Racing Ireland tweeted: “Thurles passed fit to race today [10mm rain overnight]. Ground now heavy, soft in places.”
Officials at Wincanton had been concerned by the prospect of high winds and heavy rain overnight and although 11 millimetres of rain has fallen, the course is reported to be fit for action. The going is described as heavy with two hurdles and a fence due to be omitted.
Friday’s meeting at Musselburgh is subject to a 6.45am inspection on raceday. Clerk of the course Harriet Graham has called the check as temperatures could drop below freezing overnight.
She tweeted: “Inspection 6.45am due to latest forecast. Temperatures could drop below freezing early AM -1, day time temperatures +3.”
Sunday’s meeting at Fontwell is already in trouble following heavy rain at the course and is subject to a 3pm inspection on Thursday. The going was described as heavy, waterlogged in places with some standing water on Thursday morning after the track was hit by 17 millimetres of rain on Wednesday night.
“We had another 17mm of rain last night which takes it up to 83mm in seven days,” said clerk of the course Ed Arkell.
“We’ve got some standing water and areas of false ground. We’re going to take an updated forecast this afternoon and have a look to see if there has been any improvement and we’ll go from there.”
Thursday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The Fujairah Container Terminal Handicap at Meydan on Thursday afternoon may attract a little more attention from the racing media than it might normally expect, since the field includes Knavery, the first runner to be saddled by Simon Crisford, who spent 20 years talking the talk as Godolphin’s racing manager.
Now we will get to find out if he can walk the walk as well, and like any rookie trainer sending out their first runner, never mind a man with decades of experience at the top level and a solid appreciation of the importance of good PR, Crisford will surely have lavished no end of care and attention on Knavery’s preparation. The four-year-old also showed enough early speed when racing for Roger Varian last year to suggest he will be able to take the good early position that is seems all but essential on Meydan’s new dirt track, and at 3-1, Knavery (3.55) looks a fair price.
The Meydan card also includes trials for both the UAE 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas later on in the Carnival, with the field for the former including Saeed Bin Suroor’s Local Time (2.45), the winner of the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket last season. Mike de Kock has two runners in the UAE 2,000 Guineas, meanwhile, which is interesting given that he seemed to suggest last week that he had already fallen out of love with the dirt. Securing the £30,000 first prize with either Ajwad or Mubtaahij might change his outlook, but Maftool, fifth home in last season’s Dewhurst Stakes, is the clear pick on form and another likely winner for Suroor.
On the domestic cards, Scorpiancer (3.30) can improve on a promising first run over hurdles at Ascot last time out in Ludlow’s maiden hurdle. The winner’s prize of just under £4,000 is only a fraction of the £200,000 for which he changed hands after winning a maiden point in Ireland last season, but it would be a start.
Midnight Belle (3.00) should take the mares’ novice chase on the same card, while at Wincanton, Toowoomba (3.40) can follow up an easy win last week under a 7lb penalty. The all-weather card at Wolverhampton is disappointing, but Den Maschine (5.35) should go off at a decent price in the claimer as he returns from a long absence, and will be right in the mix if he can show anything close his old form.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday
Dawson City 5-2
Coursing 13-2
Archipeligo 5-2
Tuesday
Vision Du Coeur 5-2
Scarborough 11-8
Shinooki 3-1
Wednesday
Smiles For Miles 5-1
Rons Dream 5-2
Gracious George 6-1
And our leader is. . .
CluelessWhisper +11.50
. . . .who had Smiles For Miles and Gracious George yesterday, having also had Coursing. Slackdad38 (+9.50) and Dangalf (+8) are also doing well.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.00 Ludlow, 3.20 Market Rasen, 7.10 Wolverhampton.
This week’s prize is a pair of Premier tickets to Sandown on Saturday 31 January, when the feature race is a Grade One, the Scilly Isles Novice Chase. If you don’t win, you can buy tickets 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 -9.
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!
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
