Today's best bets, by Chris Cook
According to this morning's Racing Post, Frankie Dettori missed a vital penalty in last week's charity football match between two teams of jockeys. I should imagine the Italian, who makes a lot of his enthusiasm for the beautiful game, will be smarting at the fact that this humiliation has been made public, but he's got a great chance of catharsis at Kempton this afternoon, when he should have no trouble finding the onion bag.
Ashram (3.40) has had a less than productive season but it is worth bearing in mind the ambitions that Godolphin had for this one, which they bought out of John Hills' yard after he was sixth in the Dewhurst last October, splitting Delegator and Rip Van Winkle. Ashram was the Godolphin runner in the Guineas – he was well beaten, but then nothing from the stable seemed capable of winning at that point.
Since then, he's run fairly well on some occasions (as when third in the Jersey) and disappointingly on others – he may not have liked soft going on his two most recent starts. But the yard are flying along on a 35% strike rate at the moment and Ashram is certainly up to winning at the level of today's conditions stakes. The 15-8 is not massively generous but Frankie should get him home.
It's just 10 days since Dettori won on Bawadi (4.40) when the three-year-old made his debut round here. He steps up another two furlongs to a mile and a half for a handicap today and the benefit he is likely to derive from that outing suggests he should still be ahead of the handicapper. He's 11-4.
The meeting at Hamilton has survived an early inspection after further rain on going that was already heavy, so they should be finishing well strung out and you wouldn't want to be on anything with a stamina doubt. Terenzium (4.20) is the one that appeals to me in the staying handicap for amateur riders. Simon Walker is mustard in these contests and he should be able to save enough for a late effort on this 7-2 shot.
Tipping competition – a new week
Mai11 was last week's winner, when the competition centred on York's Ebor meeting. There's nothing so glamorous this week but a bit of bread and butter never hurt anyone.
This week's prize is a copy of the newly republished biography of Kieren Fallon, written by Andrew Longmore. A one-man controversy magnet, Fallon will be returning to the saddle at the end of next week after almost two years on the sidelines.
To kick things off, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 4.00 Windsor, 4.40 Kempton, 5.20 Hamilton.
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. Regarding any dispute, our decision is final. Good luck!
1.45pm It's great to be here …
I thought there were a lot of children here at Kempton this afternoon, more than could be explained simply by the presence of face-painters and balloon-manglers. And here comes the explanation – it's "High School Musical day", according to the commentator, who promises us that there will also be cheerleaders. "Go along and make yourself known …" he says. And to think I just got married.
In racing-related news, the going is standard, so that's one favourite that's obliged already. The money has kept coming for today's top tip, Ashram, who is now 13-8 for the 3.40.
2.10pm
Hi Rivercity. Alas, it's been quite a long time since we had to give up on printing all the racecards. Space constraints mean we will often be able to print just the main card each day, though obviously you can get access to all of them through our website.
2.30pm No horse is ever just slow
The news this morning is that Canford Cliffs will be scoped, following his half-length defeat in yesterday's Prix Morny. This is not because the horse has given any sign of being unwell. Could it simply be because he is a stallion prospect who has lost his unbeaten record and an excuse must be found?
Richard Hannon Jr was unable to offer any in the immediate aftermath of the race, though he made some half-hearted suggestion that the horse may have raced on a slower strip of ground up the rail, but the matter will not end there.
"He did not look the same horse that he was at Royal Ascot and hopefully we will find that something was amiss," Hannon Sr has said on his website. "It is always nice when you find a reason."
Canford Cliffs won a Group Two in June and has now been narrowly beaten in a Group One. Maybe this is just as good as he is?
But no, the bloodstock industry demands an explanation. Canford Cliffs was half a length off winning the best two-year-old race of the season yesterday and you don't do that if you're ill.
2.35pm Look out for Precious Coral
Anyone that backed Precious Coral for a place in the opener here may be feeling a tad aggrieved that Pat Dobbs stopped riding close home. The horse had been flying past tired horses and looked like snatching third until Dobbs sat up, slowing the horse's progress.
The head-on reveals that another runner was threatening to squeeze Precious Coral against the rail, so Dobbs gets off the hook, probably. But his mount showed a lot more talent on this handicap debut than she did in three maiden runs, despite being slowly away at the start. Trained by Simon Callaghan and owned by Michael Tabor, she will be straight enough next time.
2.45pm Confusion reigns in the ring
Brick Red and Haadeeth finish nose to nose in the six-furlong maiden and the judge cannot separate them, so the bookies are going to have to explain to all those kiddies how they settle up on a dead-heat.
"You see, little 'un, we pay out to half your stake at full odds, which is just a bit less than half the odds to your full stake – I'm sorry it's less than you were expecting. Now, it's naughty to say things like that – all bookies are not crooks."
For the reassurance of any anxious mothers, Talking Horses has not actually seen any evidence of minors engaged in gambling. But that doesn't mean it isn't happening …
3.45pm A 6-4 winner for Talking Horses!
Ashram does the business, despite getting warm beforehand. These kids are brilliant. Unlike the seasoned cynics in the stands, they start cheering the moment the stalls open and keep it up until the winner crosses the line, which is no mean feat when the race is a mile long.
4.13pm Bagber (5-4) wins one of the worst maidens ever run
That brings up a double for trainer Harry Dunlop, who also won the opener with Candyfloss Girl and will now presumably be picking cheerleaders out of his hair for the rest of the week.
4.30pm Talking Horses is quite literally on fire!
Terenzium (5-2) beat his rivals through the Hamilton mud. When it's as easy as this, why work?
4.45pm Redemption for Pat Dobbs
Open to criticism for his ride in the opener (see above), Dobbs did well to drive Lethal Glaze (12-1) past the longtime leader Becausewecan in the final stride. Bawadi never looked like bringing up the treble for Talking Horses, finding little under pressure from the home turn.
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