Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Of the three horses I’m most interested in today, not one of them is now trading at less than 8-1. Dear me, I’m clearly about to stumble into one of those heffalump traps from the book on which my three-year-old is currently fixated.
In the last at Hamilton, Haidees Reflection (5.20) is the eye-catcher, from the Jim Goldie yard that is about 25 miles from the track. This five-year-old mare was a lightly raced maiden when she joined Goldie for this summer but she has already won twice and was a strong-finishing fourth of 16 at Newcastle last time.
Today’s return to a mile should help her, as should the return to the saddle of Fergal Lynch, who won on her two starts ago. She’s drifted to 9-1 but I’ve decided to find that more appealing than alarming.
At Kempton, Devonshire Place (4.10) can be another winner for the Roger Charlton yard that is holding its form so well. This three-year-old filly has been steadily progressive in her three handicaps, breaking her maiden at Bath last time in the race we all thought Kazziana would win. Her style of racing suggests Devonshire Place will probably need today’s extra quarter-mile around this tight all-weather circuit.
The market signals are of most concern regarding Remarkable (3.00), a John Gosden debutant at Leicester, where he is the only mount of Frankie Dettori. Remarkable is a full brother to four winners, including Infallible, trained by Gosden to beat 19 rivals in a Newmarket maiden on her two-year-old debut before adding the Nell Gwyn the next spring.
The market here cannot see past Massaat, a close second on his debut behind a Gosden horse that has since been placed in a Group Three. But it’s two months since we saw Massaat and the rain forecast for Leicester this morning may produce a very different surface from the one he enjoyed on his debut.
On the whole, I think the 10-1 about Remarkable is very fair and I note, for what it’s worth, that the Racing Post’s Newmarket man has also picked him over Godolphin’s Clock Watcher, that has already had a run.
Tipping competition - a new week
Congratulations to Fixxxer, who won last week’s competition on a final score of +17.30, despite a winnerless Friday. Factormax finished strongly into second on +11.33.
This week, we’re offering you a second chance to win a copy of Paul Ferguson’s newly published Jumpers To Follow 2015-16, since we’re approaching the core jumps season. Now in its ninth year, the annual focuses on Ferguson’s 40 best prospects, with many additional features and a foreward from the trainer Jamie Snowden. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 3.50 Hamilton, 4.00 Leicester, 4.10 Kempton.
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.
