Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Within the next 24 hours, Michelle Payne faces a hearing in Australia over a positive test, reported this morning, for an appetite suppressant. The Melbourne Cup-winning jockey gave the test on 11 June, just over a fortnight ago, took part at Royal Ascot last week and was told of the positive test on Friday. It is not known whether she intends to contest the positive finding.
I’ve found a report on two other jockeys in Australian racing who were banned after testing positive for the same drug, Phentermine, in 2015. Wayne Kerford and Andrew Mallyon were prevented from race-riding for a month.
If Payne is also banned, officials at Ascot will be hoping her punishment is not much longer than they got. A ban of longer than six weeks will prevent her from taking part in the Shergar Cup at the Berkshire track on 12 August, when Payne is scheduled to be the star attraction. She missed the same event last year after suffering internal injuries in a midrace fall.
Talking of non-runners, today’s nap, Here And Now, has been taken out of Salisbury’s Bibury Cup because of a bad scope. In possibly related news, he comes from the Ralph Beckett yard whose strike-rate in the past fortnight has been unusually low at 6%, though of course most of the top yards suffer a strike-rate dip at Royal Ascot time because the competition is so fierce.
In a staying handicap later on the Salisbury card, Martin Keighley’s Buckle Street (4.10) makes some appeal at 12-1, despite being 2lb out of the weights. This lightly raced four-year-old improved over hurdles this winter and beat 13 rivals in a Southwell novice hurdle in February.
As a result, I’d say he looks very handily treated on his Flat mark, derived from three well-beaten efforts in maidens last summer. He ran just once in a Flat handicap, when a possibly unlucky second at Kempton in November.
I’m slightly concerned about the cheekpieces, which, when fitted for the first time, caused him to run too freely over hurdles at Newbury. But hopefully they won’t have quite the same electrifying effect now. He’s partnered by Richard Oliver, an apprentice with Mark Johnston, who was beaten just half a length on an 8-1 shot for Keighley a couple of days ago.
Carlisle stages a couple of excellent old handicaps, though I’m a bit frustrated to find that I like fancied runners in both. Roger Varian’s progressive West Drive (3.00) looks the one for the Cumberland Plate at 11-2, having gone up just 4lb for a narrow success at Windsor, from which the runner-up won next time (they were three lengths clear).
Harry Bentley, aboard that day, gives way to Andrea Atzeni. The blinkers are back on West Drive, who won his maiden in September on the first occasion they were fitted. He looked like hard work in just cheekpieces last time and probably needs the blinkers to sharpen him up.
Blinkers are fitted for the first time to Carnageo (3.30), a 7-1 shot for the Carlisle Bell. Three times a winner last season, he showed his best form of the year so far when third at Hamilton last time and the first and fourth have won since. Richard Fahey’s charge should appreciate the likely stronger pace of this race, especially as he steps down in trip.
Tips for all Wednesday racing
Carlisle
2.00 John Kirkup 2.30 Birdette 3.00 West Drive 3.30 Carnageo 4.00 Bletchley 4.30 The Stalking Moon 5.00 Frank Bridge
Salisbury
2.10 Lifeboat 2.40 Edged Out 3.10 Wildnightinvegas 3.40 Here And Now (nap) 4.10 Buckle Street (nb) 4.40 Takatul 5.10 See Of Rome
Worcester
2.20 Black Corton 2.50 Super Scorpion 3.20 Malton Rose 3.50 Paddy’s Field 4.20 Listen To The Man 4.50 Monbeg Legend 5.20 Cillian’s Well
Kempton
5.40 Dragon Dream 6.10 Camomile Lawn 6.40 Rebel Streak 7.10 Ocean Promise 7.40 Glory Of Paris 8.10 Clowance One 8.40 Iona Island
Bath
6.00 Pow Wow 6.30 Secret Agent 7.00 Tulip Fever 7.30 Storm Over 8.00 Under The Covers 8.30 Touwari 9.00 Aye Aye Skipper
