Today’s best bets
Pontefract remembers one of its most popular performers this evening with the Mr Wolf Handicap, named after a horse who raced at the track no less than 36 times, coming home in front on eight occasions. His race is a high-quality sprint handicap, too, though it seems a little odd that it is restricted to three-year-olds, since Mr Wolf himself did not discover his liking for Ponte until 25 races into his career, when he was already four.
Mr Wolf’s place in the heart of Pontefract racegoers was assured when he won his first three races at the track in the space of 19 days in the summer of 2005 and, while there are unlikely to be similar heroics from any of today’s runners, Aleef (7.45) appeals as the sort to show plenty of progress over the next few months. Charlie Hills’s colt finished last of eight on his only run as a juvenile but returned to action in May with a victory at Lingfield in a useful time and may have the class to overcome a wide draw.
Deluxe (3.15) is still a maiden after 18 starts but produced one of the best runs of his career on his first start at Brighton last time out. He is up just a pound in the ratings and still feasibly weighted on a mark of 61 for today’s return there. Soaring Spirits (2.45), who has also run well at Brighton in the past, should go close on the same card, while Eastern Dragon (4.00) and Vallarta (4.30) are fairly priced to win at Ayr. At Windsor this evening, Wiley Post (9.00) could be worth waiting for in the last.
Tipping competition – a new week
Congratulations to Steve Ellis, who won last week’s competition on a final score of +25, despite a winnerless Friday, with jackboyle1892 finishing strongly. Steve’s prize was a bet in the Derby; he went for Massaat each-way, which at least will have given him a thrill for the first mile or so, as that one raced prominently.
To clarify on a point that was disputed last week, there is nothing in our rules to prevent an entrant from changing their selection shortly before a race, whether or not the original selection was a non-runner. We might have to introduce such a rule if people did that so often as to make the scoring unmanageable but for now it happens only rarely.
This week’s prize is offered by the tipster and analyst Marten Julian. Our winner will have access to his ‘Royal Ascot Package’, including his preview books (available as PDFs and in hard copy), an online preview the night before each day’s racing and text messages on race mornings.
If you don’t win, you can order it here. To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 4.30 Ayr, 7.45 Pontefract, 9.00 Windsor.
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. 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.
