Wednesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
Not for the first time since the end of Flat racing on turf earlier this month, today’s all-weather cards are is significantly more valuable and competitive than the action on offer over the jumps. There is £52,000 up for grabs at Lingfield and no less than £86,000 at Kempton Park this evening, which is about 30pc more than the prize money on offer at Wetherby and Fontwell combined.
The Listed Wildflower Stakes at Kempton is the card’s feature event, and Spanish Squeeze (6.45) a worthy favourite to take the £22,684 first prize. Hugh Palmer’s gelding is still lightly-raced, with only four starts to date, and put up his best performance yet when touched off by a nose in a well-run race at Chelmsford City last time out. There was another five lengths back to the third horse home, and while his ability to see out 12 furlongs needs to be taken on trust, at odds of around 9-4 it is a chance worth taking.
The six-furlong handicap is another competitive contest, but Lancelot Du Lac (7.15) is a proven winner at this track and trip, having taken this race two seasons ago and finished third 12 months ago. He has winning form off a 2lb lower mark and though there are other front-runners in the field, his low drawn should help him to grab the lead.
The biggest prize at Lingfield has drawn the smallest field with just six going to post for the Coral Handicap over 10 furlongs. Aleator (2.35) should appreciate the return to this trip after racing over a mile last time, while Weld Arab (3.10) and Renounce (3.40) should also be competitive on the same card.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Gallery Exhibition 8-1
Lady Of Longstone 11-1
Medicean Man 10-1
Tuesday
Retrieve The Stick 7-1
Not A Bother Boy 3-1
Wilton Milan 6-1
And our leader is …
cerises +14
… after a winnerless Tuesday. Royal1scot (+12) and 72luca (+10) chase, while Lindsey6677 is on +9 after a double yesterday.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 2.10 Fontwell, 2.25 Wetherby, 6.45 Kempton.
This week’s prize is a copy of The Oaks by Michael Church, a limited edition of a handsome and scholarly work by the official Derby historian. The accompanying blurb reports that it includes “a comprehensive history of the race, its foundation, the results, race commentaries, all the winners and their breeding. There are also accounts of famous owners, trainers and jockeys, essays and pictures of the best winners”. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here. Don’t say we do nothing to keep you Flat fans warm in winter!
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.
Good luck!
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