Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
I’m sure all our Talking Horses regulars will join me in wishing Ryan Moore a speedy recovery from the neck injury sustained in a stalls accident that has so far kept him off games for a fortnight. No timetable for his return to action has yet been made public and the Racing Post is suggesting today that the former champ could be out until next year.
Let’s take comfort from the fact that no sources are quoted in the Post story, which seems to be based on a feeling among the trainers who use Moore that they may be without him for an extended period. Moore adds a lot of interest and no small quantity of skill to every race in which he takes part. It will be great to have him back, whenever that happens.
Moore doesn’t seem to have won Sandown’s Star Stakes, at least not in the past decade, though I note with a pang of nostalgia that Richard Hills has done so three times. William Buick might be the man for today’s renewal, as he has the ride on Fireglow (3.30), another fine two-year-old from the Mark Johnston yard.
The way Johnston has adapted to the change in population at his Middleham yard is nothing short of remarkable. Having been sent a load more yearlings than in the past by his main owners at the end of last year, he has won more two-year-old races in 2015 than Richard Hannon (47 vs 44) and at a better strike-rate (24% vs 20%). Johnston has already had more juvenile winners than he got in any of the last four seasons and I imagine 47 is a career record for him, with more than three months left before the jumping takes over.
He runs two in the Star but Dessertoflife probably needs some cut. Fireglow started her season with victory in a Catterick maiden that worked out well. She was a bit caught out by the furious early pace of the Albany but finished best of all to be fourth over that six furlongs, suggesting today’s seven will help.
It’s a competitive race, of course, and I have particular respect for Alinstante, from the Sir Mark Prescott yard that has a good record in the Star. But I want to stick with Fireglow at 9-4.
Pick of the Wolverhampton card may be Equity Risk (4.10), having his third run since joining Roger Charlton from Kevin Ryan after being sold in October. He showed plenty of ability in his early days and there was just a flash of it when he was a running-on third at Ascot last autumn (beware of improved form just before the sales).
He’s fared poorly in a couple of sprints for Charlton but this is a step down in class and a step back up to the sort of distance suggested by his pedigree. He’s 9lb below his last winning mark, has been well supported on both runs this year and would be way overpriced at 7-2 if the ability were still there.
Tipping competition, day fou
r
Our winners so far:
Monday
Get Knotted 9-1
Cruchain 3-1
Slip Sliding Away 6-1
Tuesday
Beach Bar 9-2
Katie Gale 13-2
Picture Dealer 11-2
Wednesday
Letters Of Note 6-1
Strawberry Martini 9-2
Macdillon 5-1
And our leader is ...
dean055 +23
... who was already fourth before picking all three winners for a sensational Wednesday. His nearest challenger is wiggy12 (+9.50), who also had a perfect Wednesday. The previous leader, Lindsey6677, is next on +8.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.30 Sandown, 5.05 Sandown, 7.05 Newbury.
This week’s prize is a pair of Premier enclosure tickets to Sandown for Thursday 6 August, when an evening of racing will be followed by live music from top indie rockers (it says here) Kaiser Chiefs! More details are here for anyone who wants to buy tickets, having not won this week. Good luck!
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.
