Tuesday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Well, my instinct to have a good look at Dianne Sayer’s runners at Carlisle last night was not misplaced. Unfortunately, I settled on the wrong one. While Baileys Concerto raced too close to the pace, as it turned out, and did not get home, Sayer won the only other race in which she had a runner, with the 13-2 shot Gold Chain.
That was her first Flat winner since May and only her second of the year, so it would be a stretch to describe her as in form but even before the events of last night I was interested in her Silver Shuffle (4.45), a 7-1 shot for the staying handicap at Catterick today. The winner of this race last year, he returns on a mark only 2lb higher than when beaten a neck over the course and distance in October.
More recently, he has been in good form over jumps, winning at Aintree in June, helped by a tongue tie, fitted for the first time in May and retained here. On his most recent Flat outing, a couple of months ago, he was beaten just a neck, staying on strongly over a shorter distance than this.
Earlier, 10-1 looks generous about Under Approval (3.15) in the sprint handicap, given his handy draw near the far rail which is usually favoured when the ground is as fast as it will be today. He was drawn over there when scoring over the course and distance in May, also on good to firm, and won again on fast ground, at Musselburgh, when last seen a fortnight ago. An extra 3lb isn’t going to make much difference if he’s in the same mood.
It’s interesting to see the jockeys coach John Reid, a Derby winner back in the day, using two of his last three tweets to praise the apprentice Charlie Bennett, describing him last night as “one of the best 5lb claimers around”. Bennett is at Salisbury today, aiming for a quick double aboard Prince Of Cardamom (4.30), on whom he scored at Lingfield three days ago.
That was an apprentice race, so the four-year-old gets to run off the same mark here, a stone and a half below the mark he had at the start of last year. His two recent wins have been on good to firm, whereas overnight rain has turned Salisbury soft and it’s impossible to be sure he will cope. However both sides of his pedigree suggest that he will and I’m happy to take 13-8 in the circumstances.
Tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Monday
Snap Shots 7-2
Goring 18-1
Moonlightnavigator 5-4
And our leader is:
pkhughesy92 +3.75
… who has been in really tremendous form of late and started the new week with a double, Snap Shots and Moonlightnavigator. No one had Goring.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.45 Catterick, 5.30 Salisbury, 7.20 Chelmsford.
This week’s prize is a pair of County Enclosure tickets to York for the last day of their Ebor festival, Saturday 20 August, when the Ebor itself is the feature race. As well as the famous old handicap, you’ll also see the Gimcrack Stakes for flying two-year-olds. It’s a great day out at one of our most popular tracks. 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.
