12.15pm Popular northern trainer Mel Brittain has died, aged 71
Tony Paley: Mel Brittain, best known for the sprinter Grey Desire, has died at his north Yorkshire home in Warthill, aged 71.
Brittain first took out a trainer’s licence in 1985 and enjoyed instant success with Grey Desire, whom he also owned. The sprinter made the trainer/owner’s red and yellow colours a regular sight, particularly on racecourses in the north. Brittain trained many of Grey Desire’s offspring, including Grey Kingdom, who won the Ayr Silver Cup in 1999.
Garry Marshall, who was Brittain’s racing manager, said: “He was a fair, honest and genuine man. He pioneered horses running quickly after races - people never did it in the late 80s - and he was a man who thought outside the box with his training methods.
“He never had big-budget owners, but he loved his racing, loved his sprinters and always got the best out of them. He was also responsible for the early career of jockeys like David Allan and Alan Munro, many of which lost their claims with Mel. He was a tremendously encouraging man and a very loyal employer.”
Thursday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Sir Michael Stoute has trained the winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes eight times, which is the record among trainers. As recently as three years ago, he won it for the second time in a row.
In tonight’s race, he’ll field a horse that’s won five of his last six races, with the world’s best Flat jockey aboard*, and it’s not even favourite. Is this a sign that Stoute’s status is slipping slightly in the eyes of punters?
Probably, it’s got more to do with the fact that Godolphin’s Tryster has a longer, unbroken string of 1s next to his name. Big, black 1s, in fact, because they were earned in all-weather races.
Can he be as good on turf? It was interesting to see Tryster’s trainer, Charlie Appleby, quoted yesterday as saying he didn’t believe Tryster could be better on turf because his action was so very fluid on Polytrack, a surface that clearly suits him.
The last time Tryster ran on grass, he was beaten off a mark of 88. If he’s not two stone better than that this time, he won’t win, and I don’t feel like backing him in those circumstances at 9-4.
But Stoute’s Arab Spring doesn’t grip me either. It took him most of the mile and a half to get on top of Pether’s Moon and Romsdal last month, so a step down in trip is hardly certain to help. His breeding also suggests this 10 furlongs should be on the sharp side for him.
So this race comes down to John Gosden’s pair, for me, and the choice is not easy. Western Hymn seems more of a professional since being gelded and his Gordon Richards success looks pretty good, since the runner-up led inside the final 100 yards of a Group One on Sunday.
But Eagle Top (7.45) looks to me like the Group One horse in this race and I’ll take a chance on him being straight enough for this reappearance after a 10-month absence. His Royal Ascot success last summer was all class, the form has worked out and I think he was better than he was able to show when fourth in the King George.
Connections are getting their excuses in early, naturally. I dare say he will come on for the race but I think he may be good enough in any case.
It’s a fascinating race at the centre of a tremendous evening’s card, so I’m saddened to see renewed suggestions that it might be moved to a Saturday afternoon, perhaps even in time for next year. If you’d prefer it to stay where it is, get to Sandown tonight, because a crowd of only 5,000 is not going to persuade officials that the status quo is just fine.
Ijmaaly (8.15) also appeals at 8-1 for the Heron on what could be a big night for Saeed bin Suroor. This son of Makfi turned in an extraordinary debut effort at Lingfield recently, scoring by 12 lengths over 10 rivals. The others have more experience but lack his potential for improvement.
Jacob Black (8.45) is a nice 7-1 shot for the mile handicap that closes the card, handily drawn for a prominent racer and with Frankie Dettori as an eye-catching booking for a Keith Dalgleish horse. This four-year-old made all to win three times last year and looked likely to do so again on his reappearance a fortnight ago until tiring.
*by reputation, anyway
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Tuesday
Excilly 10-1
Aprovado 5-2
Minnie Milan 5-2
Wednesday
Steel Train 20-1
Van Mildert 9-1
Exchequer 11-4
And our leaders are …
melonk +15
diegoisgod +15
… being the only pair who found Steel Train. They’re 10 points clear of yesterday’s leaders, waltersobchak and GForce1.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 7.10 Sandown, 7.45 Sandown, 8.45 Sandown.
This week’s prize is a £25 bet on the Derby, kindly offered by those sporting chaps at Boylesports.
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. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
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!
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And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
