There is more than £100,000 in prize money on offer at Newbury this afternoon but it is still not the most valuable meeting of the day. That honour goes to Hamilton racecourse, 10 miles south-east of Glasgow, where there is £114,000 in the pot and the Scottish Stewards’ Cup in particular is a puzzle for punters that would grace any card.
Naggers, the favourite, has been attracting support this morning, from 3-1 to 11-4, and return to the form of his second place in a strong race at Epsom on Derby day would take him close. But his price still seems very short for a horse who is up 3lb without winning and was well beaten last time out, admittedly over the minimum trip rather than today’s six furlongs.
It is also very short given the long list of in-form opponents, Sharp Defence and Six Strings being the most obvious, but if there is one here that may have crept in at too big a price, it may well be Get Knotted (7.20).
Michael Dods’s runner is a 12-1 chance this morning, but has plenty of form that gives him a leading chance. He ran particularly well on his all-weather debut at Newcastle last time out, where he stayed on well to finish fourth in a good time, and while he has been running over seven for most of the year, he has yet to try his luck on Hamilton’s stiff six and it could well prove ideal. Get Knotted also has excellent handicap form over today’s trip including a second place in last year’s Ayr Silver Cup off 92, 4lb below his mark today, and he is drawn near the pace in stall nine. His current price is too big - and, if nothing else, he should ensure that today’s racing blog has an eye-catching headline.
Call To Mind (7.55) took his steady improvement to a new level when sixth in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and will be a tough opponent for Defoe, who is stepping up from handicaps, in the Listed Glasgow Stakes. At Newbury, Flight Of Fantasy (3.15) may be overpriced at around 8-1 for the fillies’ handicap and Madeline (3.50) is a solid favourite for the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes, while Punkawallah (3.30), a course and distance winner last time out, makes most appeal at Haydock in a race that has cut up to just five runners.
Tips for Friday’s races
Haydock Park
1.50 Jabbarockie 2.20 Quayside 2.55 Merlin 3.30 Punkawallah 4.05 Joshua Reynolds 4.35 Sharja Bridge 5.05 Abushamah
Newbury
1.40 Al Jellaby 2.10 Stage Magic 2.40 Elation 3.15 Flight Of Fantasy 3.50 Madeline 4.25 Aurora Gray 4.55 Cadeaux Boxer 5.25 Field Of Vision
Nottingham
2.00 Picture No Sound 2.30 The Love Doctor 3.05 Bourbonisto 3.40 Englishman 4.15 Mahabba 4.45 Madroos 5.15 Beverley Bullet
Hamilton Park
5.45 Hernando Torres 6.20 Austin Powers 6.50 Hee Haw 7.20 Get Knotted (nap) 7.55 Call To Mind (nb) 8.25 Regal Mirage 8.55 Indian Chief
Newmarket
5.35 Auntie Barber 6.10 Quivery 6.40 Turning Gold 7.10 Duke Of Firenze 7.45 Clon Coulis 8.15 Song Maker 8.45 Strictly Carter
Pontefract
6.30 Armed Response 7.00 Mancini 7.35 Signore Piccolo 8.05 Candelisa 8.35 Sir Gnet 9.05 Mr Orange
