Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Newbury, Newmarket and Ripon on Saturday. View selections below.
MONTBAZON (2.55), fit from a couple of outings on the flat, can defy top weight in the Betfred Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen. Alan King’s seven-year-old would be something of a good thing if recapturing the form of his youngers days, most notably when posting a fourth in the 2012 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Good ground is ideal and Montbazon showed he was no backer number over obstacles with a fine third in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after leading at the last flight. John Ferguson landed this valuable prize 12 months ago with Sea Lord and is doubly represented by Purple Bay and Honour System.
TIGGY WIGGY (3.50) can outclass her rivals in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury. There is a lot of deadwood in the 25-runner field and Richard Hannon’s speedball arrives on the back of an excellent second at Royal Ascot when chasing home well-touted Anthem Alexander in the Queen Mary. She had previously hosed up in the National Stakes at Sandown on soft ground, so any thunderstorms wouldn’t be an inconvenience.
TOKEN OF LOVE (2.05) has a bit to find with Aertex on early-season Newbury running in the three-year-old fillies’ handicap over the straight mile, but she has an upwardly mobile profile after scoring on quick ground at Newmarket last month. Aertex flopped at Sandown last time but had previously scored on the all-weather at Lingfield and Kempton.
AL KAZEEM (2.40) is the most intriguing runner of the weekend as he comes out of retirement in the Doom Bar Stakes. Roger Charlton’s six-year-old, who completed a triple Group 1 successes in the 2013 Coral Eclipse, holds a significant class advantage in this Listed event. John Gosden’s soft-ground specialist Nabucco would be of interest if the heavens opened.
PENHILL (3.45) stuffed an odds-on shot in some style at Thirsk earlier in the week and a 6lb penalty may not anchor him in the Ripon Bell-Ringer Handicap.
Compare horse racing odds and bet at the best prices
Tally Ho
Alan
To compare the odds on all today’s horse racing, click here
