Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Those of you aggrieved by ARC’s decision to all-weatherise Newcastle’s Flat track may be amused by a tweet this morning from the trainer Scott Dixon. He’s posted a screengrab of the latest forecast offered by Newcastle racecourse, containing a very odd typo: “Overcast, sunny spells and only a chance of 1-3mm poison”. “They’re killing the turf already,” was Dixon’s response.
Well, I thought it was funny but my standards may have been lowered by the experience of having been up since 4am. I’ve been to Newmarket to watch the Aussie horse Criterion in a racecourse gallop ahead of York’s Juddmonte International. Those close to him make a good case for him doing better than at Ascot, though I’d say they’ll be happy with a respectable effort en route to the Cox Plate back home.
My main interest today is in Pyrocumulus (3.20) in the Brighton Mile, for which you can get 5-1, not bad for a horse with a 50% strike-rate in handicaps (5/10). I fancied him for his penultimate start at Chester but he never got a run in that apprentice race and won from the same mark at Wolverhampton two days later.
He’s been raised 3lb, which is really neither here nor there, though this is certainly the hottest race he’s been in. My impression is that Tony Carroll has had this race in mind for a while and a fast-ground mile ought to suit the three-year-old, who surely has more to give.
At Pontefract, Another Royal (4.10) may be over-priced at 7-1, back over the course and distance over which she won in June and, indeed, from the same starting stall. She has been held in a couple of hotter contests over further since that day but is still handicapped to win when things fall right.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Flyman 8-1
Stellarta 7-1
Call It On 16-1
Tuesday
Frenzified 11-4
Silvanus 12-1
Zannda 11-4
And our leader is …
Mulldog +15
… who was already doing well before picking Silvanus. Chris1623 (+10.75) was the only other one to find him. Kingklynch and erifder now share second on +11.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.40 Pontefract, 5.10 Pontefract, 8.40 Kempton.
This week’s prize is a pair of tickets to Newbury for Saturday 15 August, featuring the Hungerford Stakes, the Geoffrey Freer and not to mention that fact that it’s their Ladies Day with a performance from Bjorn Again among the many attractions, about which you can read 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.
