Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
I’ll start with a bit of a pot-shot. Fantasy Justifier (2.40) is 20-1 for a sprint handicap at Ascot today and, while these events are notoriously tricky, that looks big to me.
A bit of cut in the ground is important to this four-year-old and he seems likely to get enough of that. He is only 4lb higher than the mark from which he has won both his sprint handicaps so far, at Haydock and Nottingham.
He also ran well here in May when fifth of 21 and the ground on that occasion may have been unsuitably quick. He did well to keep on after setting a strong pace.
His latest effort at Bath was poor but it was his first race for almost three months and it looks as though he needed it, while he started slowly in a race that worked out well for prominent racers.
Silvestre de Sousa rides for the first time today and Fantasy Justifier is probably drawn on the right side in stall six, though it doesn’t pay to be too adamant about such things on Ascot’s straight course. This is competitive, of course, and I wouldn’t want to see Fantasy Justifier in front before halfway but I don’t make him a 20-1 shot.
Faithful Mount (3.45) is a more conventional pick in a middle-distance handicap that is threatening to fall apart through non-runners. He remains unexposed, having joined Ian Williams from France at the start of the year, but stayed on well to stuff 10 rivals at Salisbury in July over a longer distance than this.
Returned to a mile and a half, he beat all bar Satellite at Newbury on soft last month and gets to run off the same mark. What are the chances that there is no Satellite in this field? The bookies offer 4-1 about Faithful Mount and I must say I am encouraged to see Willy Twiston-Davies in the plate, as few jockeys have been in better form recently.
Cymro (4.40) is interesting at 15-2 for a 10-furlong handicap at Haydock. His last four runs mix two wins (one over this course and distance) with two flops but the flops came in much hotter races at Epsom and Goodwood, where the ground may have lacked the give he requires. It may also be that he is more comfortable on a flatter track.
Tipping competition, day four
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
Thursday
Woody Bay 9-1
La Rioja 9-2
Penhill 9-4
And our leaders are …
erifder +14.50
kmill68 +14.50
… sharing the lead for a second day after both found La Rioja yesterday. Other good scores: Harrytheactor +8.25, chris1623 +8, Bonzodrongo +6.50, BearRides +5.50, factormax +5.50, wiggy12 +4.50.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.10 Haydock, 4.40 Haydock, 4.55 Ascot.
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 -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!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
