Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
One of jump racing’s finest talents has reached a milestone birthday. John Francome is 65 today, a thought guaranteed to make you feel old if you can remember his riding days.
Most of us know him better as a natural broadcaster, insightful and effortlessly charming, and I think he actually did that job for longer than he held a jockey’s licence. Few have made such a contribution to the entertainment of others over several decades. Many happy returns to you, sir.
It seems to me that most of you regular posters on this page have a racing memory that at least matches mine, so do please share your Francome memories if you have ‘em. The Champion Hurdle on Sea Pigeon is the ride that stays with me, for the amazing restraint he showed on the best horse in that race.
Jumping the last in third place, he did not immediately demand an effort as almost anyone else would have done, but took time to gather up his mount and then urged him forward with hands and heels to win comfortably. Bear in mind that the horse was 11 by this point and it takes some guts to ride a horse of that vintage for a turn of foot.
There might be no jump racing today but I’ve still managed to nap a Kim Bailey runner. Sunblazer (6.40) is a veteran staying handicapper who has recently emerged from a bit of a slump and still looks nicely treated. A winner on turf at Newmarket last month, he stayed on into third over a mile and a half here three weeks ago and should relish today’s extra half-mile. Still 9lb below his best winning mark from last year, he’s 9-4.
Half an hour earlier, I like the 15-2 about Vixen (6.10), a three-year-old filly who has been progressive on turf since joining Eve Johnson Houghton in July. This is her all-weather debut, which is part of the reason the market is circumspect, but her dam had a half-brother who won four times at this track, so it’s far from unlikely that she’ll cope perfectly well.
As a tipster, one rarely gets the chance to be wrong about the same race on consecutive days, so I’d like to thank racing’s rulers for giving me that opportunity today by restaging the Wolverhampton card that was abandoned yesterday. At least it means I can more or less copy and paste the last two paragraphs from the end of yesterday’s blog. Here goes:
Tony Carroll has 10 entrants at Wolverhampton, including at least one in each race. Since he’s only had four runners in the first 12 days of this month, that counts as a big day for this yard.
Carroll is by no means a prolific trainer of winners but I’m interested in his Rowlestonerendezvu (5.25) at 8-1. This filly is bred to stay and now steps back up to a mile and a half, at which distance she is unexposed. Having been “never nearer” over a shorter trip last time, she is now back down to a mark just 4lb above the one from which she won at Ffos Las in July.
Tips for all Wednesday races
Lingfield
12.00 Toriano 12.30 Haraz 1.00 Kohinoor Diamond 1.30 Mundersfield 2.00 Makaarim 2.30 Rakematiz 3.00 Ingleby Spring 3.30 Bloodsweatandtears
Wolverhampton
1.45 Something Lucky 2.15 Zenovia 2.45 Captain Bond 3.15 Joyful Dream 3.50 Cookie Ring 4.25 Frozen Lake 4.55 Lagenda 5.25 Rowlestonerendezvu
Kempton
3.40 Azpeitita 4.10 Mr Gent 4.40 Tum Tum (nb) 5.10 Highbrow 5.40 Humbert 6.10 Vixen 6.40 Sunblazer (nap) 7.10 Bristol Missile
