Wednesday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
My thoughts this morning are with Connor Beasley, who took a shocking fall at Wolverhampton on Tuesday in which he and his horse became one tumbling mass. Early reports suggested his significant injuries might not not extend beyond a laceration to his neck but it emerged overnight that he had a fractured skull requiring surgery.
“He has been talking to his family, but obviously he is very groggy and sore,” said Richard Hale, Beasley’s agent, this morning. “The main thing is that he came through the surgery fine. Getting through that was the most important thing and fingers crossed it keeps going that way. We will probably know a bit more later.”
According to the online service FlatStats, 61% of Flat jockeys who take more than 100 rides in their career will hit the ground in mid-race at some point, whether through falling, being brought down or unseated or having the horse slip up beneath them. Such things happen a lot less often than in jump racing but when they do happen they are all the worse for being unexpected and happening at greater speed.
Such thoughts make me grateful for our current watering policies, even though watering can make things harder for punters. If there’s some give in the ground, there’s always hope that anyone who falls will not be irreparably damaged. Clearly, though, watering would not have been a factor in the preparation of Wolverhampton, where Beasley had his fall on an artificial surface. Here’s hoping for some good news about his recovery.
I was quite impressed by the coolness with which Charlotte Jenner rode Black Truffle to score at Wolverhampton later that day. He had the form to run well and travelled like a dream but she always had him in the right place and picked just the right moment to attack.
She had a 25-1 winner the other day and it may be that she has got to that level of experience where she is good value for her 7lb claim. As is often the case with youngsters, her best chances have been on the all-weather and she’s only had three wins on turf but she could get a fourth at Lingfield today on Noor Al Haya (3.40), an 8-1 shot.
Laura Mongan’s mare has dropped to a mark 2lb below the one from which she won at Bath last summer and, unlike some of her rivals here, she is proven over an extreme distance. She made up a lot of ground from the back at Kempton recently on her first start for two months and will be suited by this switch back to turf and a more galloping circuit.
Catterick also stages a long-distance handicap, in which Miss Macnamara (4.30) appeals at 6-1. The first four wins of her career were over this course and distance and she is only 2lb higher than for the most recent of those, in late August.
Her recent hurdles form has been respectable and a return to these conditions can bring out the best in her. Sir Mark Prescott trains the favourite, High Secret, which is always a concern but this horse does not seem likely to be a strong stayer in these conditions and there isn’t much give in his handicap mark on what we’ve seen so far.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
My Name Is Rio 9-4
Nocturn 16-1
Showstoppa 15-2
Tuesday
Nameitwhatyoulike 8-1
Alaweer 6-4
Cape Victoria 9-4
And our leader is ...
moidadem +14
... who added Nameitwhatyoulike and Alaweer to Showstoppa on Monday. Harrytheactor (+6.25) also had Nameitwhatyoulike and now lies second.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.30 Catterick, 7.20 Kempton, 9.20 Kempton.
This week’s prize is a copy of The Bluffers Guide to Horseracing, which none of you will exactly need, of course, but which you are all likely to find entertaining, since it has been written by David Ashforth, one of the best and funniest writers ever to grace racing’s press room. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy 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 -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!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
