Paul Ferguson has three selections for us on Saturday including Pique Sous in the Bellewstown 8.20. Compare odds and bet.
Sandown’s card this afternoon is top-class action all the way and the day may well belong to the former champion jockey Ryan Moore who has several eye-catching rides, including Mars in the feature Group 1 Coral-Eclipse.
The three-year-old was unlucky in the Derby and arguably likewise in the St James’s Palace last time, but this race comes fairly quickly after those two efforts and the application of the hood is somewhat off-putting.
Instead I’d rather back Moore on the two Sir Michael Stoute-trained three-year-old fillies he rides on the card, kicking off with Plover (1:30) in the opening Malcolm Palmer Memorial Hanidcap.
The daughter of Oasis Dream was hugely impressive in scoring over this trip on the all-weather at Kempton last month, where she pulled 6 lengths clear of yesterday’s winner Ethel. The third has also won since and, while the handicapper hasn’t taken too many chances, a mark of 88 looks workable and she is open to plenty of improvement after just two starts. She was trading at 9/4 with Coral overnight.
Even less exposed is the once-raced Integral (3:15) who is fancied to maintain her 100% record in the Listed Coral Distaff.
Impressive when making a winning racecourse debut at Goodwood in May, when Moore timed his move perfectly, and she is beautifully bred, by Dalakhani out of Echelon, who herself finished second in this race before developing in to a Group 1 performer.
I was slightly surprised that Stoute is pitching her in to such a deep race on just her second start, but that also speaks volumes of the regard in which she is clearly held and she looks a bet at 9/2 with Ladbrokes or Paddy Power. Boylesports are 4/1 and offering ¼ odds to those interested in an each-way play, with the dead eight going to post.
Over In Ireland Pique Sous (8:20) is taken to land the concluding Eva-Tec Ltd (Q.R.) Race at Bellewstown for Willie Mullins and Katie Walsh.
The grey was good enough to finish third in the Champion Bumper and sixth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, beaten by stable-mate Champagne Fever on both occasions, and he is one from one on the level, having scored over 2m at Dundalk in February.
He goes well fresh, relishes quick ground and should have too much pace for today’s rivals. The six-year-old can take this en route to Galway, where I hope he will be entered in the Galway Hurdle, but it is believed to be a Flat race that connections have in mind at the Festival.
Saturday’s selections:
1:30 Sandown Plover
3:15 Sandown Integral
8:20 Bellewstown Pique Sous
Compare all today’s horse racing odds and bet at the best prices
Order Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow 2012-13
Available hot of the press on Oct 1 2012 – Only £9.95!
Send your name and address with a cheque payable to The Racing Insider for £9.95
The Racing Insider,
PO Box 98,
Liverpool L9 1WY
Last Year’s Book Results – Leading Prospects:
- SPRINTER SACRE – Unbeaten – winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- SIMONSIG – Winner at Aintree & Cheltenham
- CINDERS AND ASHES – 10/1 winner of Supreme Novices Hurdle
- BOBS WORTH – 9/2 winner of the RSA Chase
- MENORAH & SILVINIACO CONTI – Both Aintree Winners
- SIR DES CHAMPS – Unbeaten inc 3/1 Jewson Cheltenham Winner
- FINGAL BAY – Won 4 times inc Challow Hurdle
- RAYA STAR – 10/3 winner at Wetherby, 12/1 Ladbroke Hurdle winner, 15/2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner
- AMBION WOOD – 14/1 EBF Final Sandown winner
- CHAMPION COURT – 6/1 G2 Dipper Novices Chase winner
- PALACE JESTER – 14/1 winner at FFos Las
- SWINCOMBE FLAME – Hat-trick winner inc Lanzarote Hurdle at 9/2
- TEAFOR THREE – 5/1 NH Cheltenham Chase winner (Manifesto Novices’ Chase)
