Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Haydock and Ascot on Saturday. View selections below.
Back a winner at 4/1 or more and get a risk free bet up to £50, with bet365’s ITV 4/1 Offer
MISS O’CONNOR (2.30) can reward favourite backers in the Dick Hern Stakes, a Listed contest for fillies and mares at Haydock.
She fairly blitzed her rivals at Nottingham on soft ground nine days ago and William Haggas is striking while the iron is hot. The opposition may well have been ordinary but the manner of Miss O’Connor’s victory suggested there was more to come at a higher level.
Ralph Beckett’s Feliciana De Vega scored by six lengths on her debut at Newmarket on soft before romping away with a Listed prize on the all-weather at Deauville in December. She could be anything and the betting market will be informative, with John Gosden’s Muchly also in the mix.
If the ground is riding deep that will make ADDEYBB (3.05) difficult to beat in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes. The rain came in time at Royal Ascot when he whizzed up in the Wolferton Stakes before Elarqam, only third at the royal meeting, took his revenge at York the following month. Addeybb was short of room at a vital stage and would have finished closer with a clear passage. He won his maiden at Haydock a couple of seasons ago, so the track holds no fears.
Pondus, an excellent second to Fox Chairman at Newbury, and classy Raise You both handle soft ground and probably rate a bigger danger than emphatic Cambridgeshire winner Wissahickon, yet to prove himself under testing conditions.
ITV are covering all six Shergar Cup races at Ascot and the international jamboree creates plenty of media attention, without necessarily throwing up some obvious winners. Not many horses come into the Shergar Cup Stayers’ handicap in any great form, one of the exceptions being BILLY RAY (1.40). Mick Channon’s colt chased home the smart Withhold at Newbury last month and is the one to beat if able to handle the advertised quicker ground. Danny Tudhope is a safe pair of hands.
Genetics came home alone by 12 lengths in last year’s Challenge, the only horse to sit on the tail of breakneck leader Humble Hero. He is up 8lb but it would be folly to rule out an action replay. Preference is for class-dropper BIG KITTEN (2.15), twice a runner-up on the all-weather earlier in the season before posting a fine sixth to Pivione at York, helping to force the pace until the furlong marker.
NEVER DO NOTHING (3.25) is one of several improving middle-distance three-year-olds going to post for the Classic and a repeat of last month’s course and distance third to Floating Artist and Faylaq would see him go close. He won at Goodwood in June and holds Aspire Tower at the revised weights. Mark Johnston’s Vivid Diamond split Western Duke and Kiefer here a fortnight ago and has been knocking at the door all season.
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
NB. All odds shown are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
