Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
While I’m prepared to deal with the real world from time to time, as occasion demands, there are days when I’m particularly grateful for the diversion provided by the world of horse racing. For reasons that you can doubtless divine, this is one of those days and perhaps you, like me, will be delighted to see an absorbing Sandown card scheduled for this evening.
Of course, it would have been more absorbing if the nap, Utopian Dream, hadn’t become a non-runner because of a high temperature. Alas for John Gosden’s filly. But there’s still 12-1 about Envoy (7.00), which seems just a bit mad to me in light of his maiden success last month, his first outing since being gelded in the autumn.
This is a big horse who might reasonably be expected to do much better now than in his first couple of juvenile outings and indeed his return to action was a big improvement on what went before. He will also be well suited by some rain-softened ground.
His opening mark looks pretty reasonable to me and I can only think he is such a big price because he’s trained by James Eustace in a race featuring some more fashionable trainers. But the upside on Envoy is about as promising as anything else I can see in the race.
On To Victory (7.35) is proving more popular at 9-4 in the following race. From the Eve Johnson Houghton yard which is contriving to stay below most radars while winning plenty of races, he got off the mark in his first handicap a fortnight ago, beating a Clive Cox favourite. On To Victory is 8lb higher against a couple of unexposed types but the extra quarter-mile looks like good news and, again, he is proven on ground with some cut.
The pick of the prices this afternoon might be 14-1 about Boots And Spurs (3.30) at Ripon. He’s on a pretty serious losing run since last summer but came within inches of ending it at Thirsk two runs ago, on soft, and things didn’t work out so well for him last time. Back on ground with some cut, he can go well again and Franny Norton is quite an encouraging booking.
Thursday racing tips
Ripon
2.00 Sandie Gem 2.30 Springforth 3.00 Sands Chorus 3.30 Boots And Spurs 4.00 Reinstorm 4.30 Liquid Gold 5.00 Callaghan
Haydock
2.10 American Craftsman 2.40 Seyaady 3.10 Supersymmetry 3.40 Viva Verglas 4.10 Mac O’Polo 4.40 With Hindsight
Bangor
2.20 Mister Universum 2.50 Murray Mount 3.20 Western Miller 3.50 Iora Glas 4.20 Solix 4.50 Gleno
Sandown
6.00 Glaceon 6.30 Utopian Dream (nap) 7.00 Envoy (nb) 7.35 On To Victory 8.05 Your Ladyship 8.40 Ejayteekay
Carlisle
6.10 Wirral Girl 6.40 Ajwan 7.10 Cartavio 7.45 Pilgrim’s Treasure 8.20 Rainbow Rebel 8.50 Mustaqbal 9.20 Reinforced
