There is a long list of non-runners for punters to contend with before placing their bets today, with the card at Musselburgh this afternoon the worst affected. Eight names have been scratched so far up in Scotland, where the going is good-to-firm and Dakota Rose (2.00), Tennessee Rose (2.30) and Ellaal (4.00), all very credible contenders, are among the absentees, but Ellaal’s non-appearance does increase confidence in Ginger Jack (4.00) in the most competitive race on the card, which still has the dead eight runners for each-way purposes.
Seven of the eight runners are priced up at 10-1 or below, so this is still a very tight contest, but Ginger Jack arrives in excellent form and off the same mark of 87 from which he ran well to finish fourth behind Breakable at Ripon last time out. Breakable, a winner again since, got first run on Ginger Jack there but he finished well when he got into the clear and had something left as he crossed the line about one-and-a-half lengths behind the winner. Even at nine years of age, he looks to be in the form of his life and is a very fair price at around 100-30.
Only four runners go to post for the 12-furlong handicap on the same card, with Dry Your Eyes (3.30) fancied to back up her good second place at Beverley last time when dropped back to this trip for the first time since April. Eljaddaf (8.45) is a solid favourite for the seven-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton this evening, and Mamoo (3.40) and Twin Point (2.40) will both go close at Leicester.
Jumping fans, meanwhile, have an early sight of Shantou Village (3.50), the beaten favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, when he makes his debut over fences at Fontwell this afternoon. Neil Mulholland’s six-year-old was pulled up after being struck into at the Festival, but he was one of the very best novices around last season and will go off at short odds against three runners today.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday Multitask 6-4, Swirral Edge 13-2, Athlon 9-4
Tuesday Character Onesie 7-2, Calvados Spirit 9-2, Chetan 7-2
Wednesday Staintondale Lass 11-4, Glengarry 11-2, Mukaabra 10-1
And our leaders are: Bigboozer +3 and BatmanKaisers +3
… who are narrowly ahead of three others on +2 in this low-scoring week.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.00 Musselburgh, 4.10 Leicester, 5.05 Musselburgh.
This week’s prize, kindly offered by Ayr racecourse, is a couple of Club enclosure tickets to Ayr Gold Cup day on Saturday 17 September. It’s the climax of Scotland’s biggest and richest Flat-race meeting and always hugely enjoyable. If you don’t win, you can read more about it and buy tickets here.
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 -9.
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.
