10.45am Royal Ascot winner Defrocked sold to race in Hong Kong
Tony Paley: Royal Ascot winner Defrocked has been sold to race in Hong Kong, confirmed joint-owner Michael Buckley.
Defocked has today left us to continue his career in Hong Kong. We wish his new owners the best of luck. #thankuteam pic.twitter.com/fSyVspJNPU
— jamie osborne (@osbornejamie) July 12, 2016
The Jamie Osborne-trained denied Abe Lincoln by a short head in the one-mile Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot but will now leave Osborne to be campaigned in the far east.
Buckley told At The Races: “He’s actually been sold to Hong Kong. What I didn’t know, not having had a runner in it before, is that the race is a bit of a famous hunting ground. He was already a gelding and we’ve got to keep in business so that we can get the new ones [horses] in.”
Tuesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
There was some 5-4 available overnight about Sir Mark Prescott’s St Michel (4.00) in the two-mile handicap at Beverley on Tuesday, but the money has been arriving steadily and the son of Sea The Stars is now a shade of odds-on. Even at 10-11, however, he makes plenty of appeal, as his form ties in with some of the best on offer among three-year-old handicappers so far this season and he can still race off a mark of just 76.
At Bath last time out, St Michel was beaten four-and-a-half lengths by Emperor Napoleon, but it was a better performance that it might appear on paper since the winner had previously been beaten behind Primitivo, the subsequent winner of the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot. Emperor Napoleon was also behind Red Verdon, sixth home in the Derby, in a handicap earlier in the year, while in his penultimate start, St Michel was an easy winner off a mark of 70 on the all-weather at Chelmsford.
All the signs suggest that St Michel is a classic Prescott-trained improver who would be going for a hat-trick today had he not run into an opponent who was even more generously handicapped last time. He also seems oblivious to ground conditions and likely to improve still further for another step up in trip this afternoon.
Punters looking for a bet at a bigger price could try Tanawar (4.30) in the subsequent seven-furlong handicap. A decent pace seems likely here which will suit Ruth Carr’s six-year-old, and his second place at Catterick last time out off today’s mark of 63, in a race run in a good time, suggested that his turn was at hand.
Little Nosegay and George Ravenscar (2.00) are the obvious contenders for the nursery which opens the card at Bath, with the latter narrowly preferred at the odds on his first step into a handicap. Rosealee (3.40) should also go well in the sprint handicap on the same card.
Tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Monday
Shamson 7-2
Royal Duchess 12-1
Prendergast Hill 4-1
And our leader is:
chris1623 +15
… who found Royal Duchess and Prendergast Hill and was the only tipster to get a double on Day One. ID0330506 (+10) was the only other to pick Royal Duchess.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.45 Bath, 5.05 Beverley, 8.40 Thirsk.
This week’s prize is a pair of tickets to Ascot to see the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday 23 July. Our most prestigious all-aged Flat race could bring together Postponed and Hawkbill this time. The tickets, generously offered by the Queen’s track, are for the Winning Post Enclosure, which, as the name suggests, will get you very close to the action. If you don’t win, you can 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 -3.
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.
