Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Ugh, what a pity that Kew Gardens has been taken out of Saturday’s King George, apparently suffering from an infection of some kind. The Racing Post report that he “didn’t scope 100% clean” this morning, the latest suggestion that there’s a bug at Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable.
Before the news about Kew Gardens broke, O’Brien said: “Our horses are just going through a little bit of a stage - a little bit of a change - and the odd one is not scoping right at the moment. We’ve seen it with the filly in the Oaks and we just have to be careful.”
That filly was Magic Wand, well backed for Saturday’s Irish Oaks but a shocking disappointment, beaten a long way from home and eventually fifth of the seven runners, nine lengths behind Sea Of Class. She was described as having a dirty nose the next day.
It’s not like all of O’Brien’s are performing below expectations. His Forever Together was beaten just a neck in Magic Wand’s race and the trainer has had four winners since, including two from four runners at Naas yesterday. Still, it’s a worrying time if you’re interested in one of his at a short price.
Kew Gardens was just about the most interesting runner in Saturday’s race, being a rapidly improving three-year-old who’d won a Group One last time. I must admit, I thought we’d hear little of him after he was stuffed in the Derby but he’s won twice since then. Hopefully he can bounce back in time to run on summer fast ground, which apparently suits him.
There’s an enticing card at Sandown, where bits of 5-1 are still available about Antagonist (4.30), the nap. This is the second day in a row where James Doyle is booked for the nap and I hope he actually does ride this time; yesterday, for reasons I don’t know, Employer was eventually partnered by another jockey who hadn’t been on him before and it didn’t work out brilliantly.
Antagonist may also have a side to him, as his name suggests, and he didn’t settle for a 7lb claimer on his reappearance in May, which was also his handicap debut. So far, we haven’t seen a great deal of ability from him but that’s why he’s in this race on a modest horse’s racing.
Whether Antagonist is actually a modest horse remains to be seen but his breeding is encouraging. He’s a half-brother to Almodovar, who ran third in a Hardwicke and ended up on a rating 40lb above the one Antagonist has. His dam is a half-sister to Tante Rose, who won a Haydock Sprint Cup.
Roger Charlton, who is faring much better than when Antagonist made his reappearance, also trained Almodovar and Tante Rose, so he knows the family well, as they say. Antagonist opened at 15-2 and looks like going 9-2 across the board shortly.
Earlier, I’m interested in 8-1 about Look Around (2.20) in a tricky-looking Star Stakes. The Kempton race she won last time wasn’t all that but she travelled nicely, made up quite a bit of ground in a short time and took a huge step forward on her debut.
Andrew Balding brings his juveniles along steadily and I think it’s reasonable to imagine she has more to give, another three weeks later. She’s by Kingman, who has made a useful start with his first two-year-olds.
I was going to mention Tahreek at Newbury tonight but I see that Sir Michael Stoute is 1/23 over the past two weeks and has had a couple of disappointing favourites in that time. Perhaps it’s nothing but I shall sit on my hands, watch his runners and ponder what this might mean for the King George.
Instead, how about Smiling Jessica (2.40) at Worcester, where she’s 3-1 from an opening 8-1 in a place. Gavin Cromwell, who got this one from Rebecca Menzies this year, has a 27% record with his runners in Britain and I feel sure she’ll be sharper for her first run for him, in a hurdle at Downpatrick. She’s unexposed over fences and only 3lb higher than when scoring for Menzies at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day.
Sandown 1.50 Havana Rocket 2.20 Look Around 2.55 Ghostwatch 3.25 Dorella 4.00 Sageness 4.30 Antagonist (nap) 5.00 Duke Of North
Yarmouth 2.00 Deeds Not Words 2.30 Pink Iceburg 3.05 Right About Now 3.35 Grey Spirit 4.10 L’Explora 4.40 Revived 5.10 Arabian Jazz
Worcester 2.10 Fit For Fifty 2.40 Smiling Jessica 3.15 Ezanak 3.45 Drovers Lane 4.20 American History 4.50 Play The Ace 5.20 Sheelbewhatsheelbe 5.55 Phoenix Rock
Doncaster 5.15 Muatadel 5.50 Kensington Art 6.25 Its’afreebee 7.00 Florenza 7.30 Rapier 8.00 Right Direction 8.35 Jonboy
Newbury 5.35 Attain 6.10 Motafaawit 6.40 Star Terms 7.15 Tahreek (nb) 7.45 Leading Spirit 8.20 Power To Exceed 8.50 General Jack
Tips by Chris Cook
