Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Chepstow and Newmarket on Saturday. View selections below.
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BUILDMEUPBUTTERCUP (4.10) is sure to prove popular in the Emirates Cesarewitch as Frankie Dettori bids to land the second leg of the autumn double at Newmarket.
Bookmakers are still reeling from a massive plunge on Dettori’s Cambridgeshire winner Lord North a fortnight ago and Willie Mullins wasted no time snapping up Frankie when regular rider Ryan Moore was committed to partner Aidan O’Brien’s Cypress Creek.
Ideally, Buildmeupbuttercup could have done without the rain and stall 21 isn’t helpful, either, but she has an awful lot else in her favour. The 2m 2f trip should be no trouble as she came from a long way back to chase home The Grand Visier over 2m 4f at Royal Ascot in June. She was beaten a neck by Kastada over 1m 4f at Leopardstown attempting to concede 15lb to that useful winner and thumped Run For Mary (wide-margin winner at Thurles on Thursday) by more than four lengths at the Galway festival. Buildmeupbuttercup won an Ascot bumper on soft ground last February when trained by Mick Channon, so she isn’t entirely ground dependent.
Strong cases can be made for many of her rivals and at big odds Darksideoftarnside could outrun his price for Ian Williams (also saddles fancied Time To Study). Darksideoftarnside isn’t well positioned in stall 25 but went down by a head to Landa Beach on soft at Ascot only eight days ago, so comes here at the top of his game. Gabriele Malune takes off 3lb. At shorter odds, Ranch Hand is an improving three-year-old for Andrew Balding and this soft ground performer should give Oisin Murphy a good spin.
VOLKAN STAR (2.20) was most impressive at Goodwood in August, strolling home by more than eight lengths and this son of Sea The Stars should be suited by stepping up to 1m 2f in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes. Charlie Appleby’s colt may have most to fear from Ballydoyle’s very easy Gowran Park scorer Mythical.
Appleby and stable jockey William Buick team up with Al Suhail in the Group 3 Dubai Autumn Stakes. Like several in the line-up he has run only on quick ground, most recently when third to Positive in the Solario Stakes at Sandown. MOLATHAM (2.55) is also untested on a yielding surface but impressed with his attitude when edging out Celtic Art at York and useful Wichita in the Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting. Persia handled it soft when scoring by five lengths at Galway and that could become a factor if the rain arrives in abundance.
GULLIVER (3.50) posted a course and distance success in June and holds runner-up Growl at the weights. David O’Meara’s five-year-old ran a cracker in the Ayr Gold Cup and should go close in the 22-runner Coral Sprint Trophy along with last weekend’s narrow Ascot runner-up Aplomb and consistent Danzeno.
Jumps enthusiasts will be excited now that the National Hunt season is starting to swing along and the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle has attracted 18 runners at Chepstow. With some firms offering five places, the each-way bet at decent odds is ZANZA (4.30). The five-year-old, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by champion Richard Johnson, was an easy novice hurdle winner (soft) here last November and the first-time hood had the desired effect on his final start at Newbury in March when beating Our Merlin and Nube Negra.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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