Today’s best bet, by Chris Cook
Any punter who managed to collect at 33-1 when Strike The Tiger won at Royal Ascot eight years ago might be interested to know that the horse, now 10, is back at a British racecourse for the first time since that heady day. Now working as a ‘companion thoroughbred’, the gelding travelled over from the US to York with Lady Aurelia at the end of last week and is settled there alongside the filly who is favourite for next week’s Nunthorpe Stakes.
Wesley Ward reacquired Strike The Tiger at the end of his racing career, which went quite badly downhill in the years after his Windsor Castle success. The horse had sentimental value for Ward, having been his first Royal Ascot winner, and is now one of 13 retired racers that Ward apparently keeps in Florida.
“He’s wonderful with all the horses,” Ward said of Strike The Tiger in quotes published by Thoroughbred Daily News. “He ponies Lady Aurelia by himself. He’s just a real gentle soul as a horse. I just can’t let him take her behind the gate because when he goes near the gate he acts differently because he remembers his old days as a war horse.”
Ward also expects to run Happy Like A Fool and Elizabeth Darcy at York’s Ebor meeting next week. Those two-year-olds have been based in Europe since they ran at Royal Ascot, so Lady Aurelia would have had to make the journey from the US by herself if the trainer had not decided to send Strike The Tiger along to keep her company.
Today’s main racing is at Salisbury, where Coconut Creme (3.50) is a very likeable 5-1 for the Upavon Fillies Stakes, a Listed affair. A Cape Cross half-sister to the Nassau winner Sultanina, she went close in a similar contest in May, beaten only by the useful Mori, and then ruined her chance in the 12-furlong Ribblesdale by refusing to settle out the back.
Nearly two months later, she may have made significant progress in the interim and comes from the William Haggas yard that maintains a high strike-rate. She is preferred to the favourite, Playful Sound, who has already failed three times at Listed level.
I’m surprised to be offered 12-1 about Seamster (2.50) in an earlier sprint handicap. His claiming jockey, Laura Coughlan, lacks experience but knows this one well enough, having been on him three times in the past fortnight, most recently when they won at Lingfield on Saturday. That ended a long losing run for Seamster, who had dropped to a beatable mark, and he could be up to defying a penalty. There will be more of an accent on speed here than on Saturday but he won over a fast five furlongs at Thirsk last year.
I think the market has picked the wrong favourite in the Beverley claimer, which can fall to the course specialist Talent Scout (3.40) at 2-1. Meanwhile, On Alberts Head (8.20) is interesting at Bangor tonight, having joined Neil Mulholland from Richard Woollacott. He’s 12lb below the mark from which he won at Huntingdon in May last year and is on offer at 11-4.
Tips for all Wednesday races
Salisbury
1.50 Ornamental 2.20 Laubali 2.50 Seamster 3.20 Rigoletto 3.50 Coconut Creme 4.20 Funky Footsteps 4.50 Fine Example
Newton Abbot
2.00 Charlie Rascal 2.30 Gettysburg Address 3.00 Galizzi 3.30 Alcala 4.00 Ilewindelilah 4.30 The Geegeez Geegee 5.00 Vintage Paradise
Beverley
2.10 Biddy Brady 2.40 Sir Derrick 3.10 Baileys Excelerate 3.40 Talent Scout 4.10 Barwell 4.40 Beverley Bullet 5.15 Regal Mirage 5.45 Kibaar
Bangor
5.50 Dance Rock 6.20 Excellent Team 6.50 Court Dismissed 7.20 Lieutenant Gruber (nap) 7.50 Raleagh Mountain 8.20 On Alberts Head
Kempton
6.10 Global Exceed (nb) 6.40 Sarasota 7.10 Elizabteh Bennet 7.40 Natheer 8.10 Precious Angel 8.40 Envisaging 9.10 Zamadance
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