‘Mix-up’ horse back in action tonight
Chris Cook: Millie’s Kiss, who was at the centre of Yarmouth’s recent ‘wrong horse’ controversy, returns to action at Windsor tonight, this time in her own name. On that occasion, she won in the name of her stablemate Mandarin Princess, who was actually in the racecourse stables while she was supposedly winning at 50-1.
Their trainer, Charlie McBride, says he was in a rush and threw the saddle on the wrong horse by accident. He faces an inquiry at the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday.
Hopefully, there will be no such confusion tonight, as McBride only has one runner at Windsor. The question for punters is how they should feel about the chance of Millie’s Kiss in the 5.45pm race, in light of what she did at Yarmouth.
On that occasion, she was a three-year-old taking on two-year-olds and possibly ought to have won rather more comfortably than she did, for all that six furlongs is shorter than she usually runs. Now she’s back against her own age group and some older horses, returned to a mile and a quarter, circumstances in which she’d been placed on her previous two runs.
The betting market makes her 5-1 third-favourite. Personally, I’d be surprised if she troubled the officials on this occasion.
Today’s best bet, by Chris Corrigan
This evening’s Carlisle fixture is being billed by the track as #AmazingMonday and this female-jockeys only card is certainly fascinating, particularly as any number of skilful riders are travelling to there.
Among them is Jane Elliott, who has ridden 18 winners so far this season and has five booked rides on the card. The best of them looks to be Miss Tree (8.00), trained by the in-form John Quinn and the subject of today’s nap at odds of 7-2.
A reported 6mm of overnight rain has turned the going good to soft, enhancing Miss Tree’s chances. The six-year-old has good form on softish ground conditions, while several of her main rivals have not proven they have that ability.
Admittedly, Quinn’s mare is taking on a longer trip than the 1m6f maximum she has previously contested on turf, but she has certainly been noted staying on with purpose at the end of her races.
Tips for all Monday races, by Chris Corrigan
Carlisle
5.30 Space War 6.00 Buccaneers Vault 6.30 Castle Hill Cassie 7.00 Hanseatic 7.30 Worlds His Oyster 8.00 Miss Tree (nap) 8.30 Sheriff Of Nawton
Ripon
2.15 Elation 2.45 Bourbonisto 3.15 Cornborough 3.45 Signore Piccolo 4.15 Mysterial 4.45 Munthany 5.15 Computable
Salisbury
2.00 Ode To Autumn 2.30 Antagonist 3.00 Whitecrest 3.30 Awfaa 4.00 Delirium 4.30 Captain Sedgwick 5.00 So Sleek 5.35 Miskin
Windsor
5.10 Bhindi 5.45 Ode To Glory 6.15 Calvados Spirit 6.45 Clear Spring (nb) 7.15 Superioritycomplex 7.45 St Andrews 8.15 Zipedeedodah
