Last week, Bestofbet.com readers had a good time of things for the horse racing tips in this column thanks to two winners and a nice each-way return.
OUR CHAMP bolts up in the Sussex Champion Hurdle at 4/1 to make it two winners and a 14/1 place 😃
Serious performance which marks a good day for Chris Gordon – proper horse on decent ground.
Good day to make up for yesterday.#HorseRacing pic.twitter.com/izGpyMYfjN https://t.co/9V4f5LI5GA
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) March 31, 2024
There’s no Irish Grand National, or tasty supporting card, to look forward to this weekend, but the action from Kempton and Chelmsford has caught my eye.
So, let’s begin with this week’s bets.
2:05 Kempton – Choisya @ 4/1 with William Hill – 1pt Win
Over the last few weeks, Simon & Ed Crisford have been in good form as they have fired in three winners from their last 10 runners.
This is promising as Choisya has form in the book that interests me for the Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes.
The four-year-old by Night Of Thunder is quirky, but talented, and she receives three pounds from the favourite, Many Tears.
Firstly, she gave three pounds away to Novus at Goodwood in August before Gary Moore’s Dandy Man filly improved 18lbs to a mark of 107.
3rd win for 3yo CHOISYA @Mitchelljack77 in 8f fillies handicap @Goodwood_Races today for @DarleyEurope Night Of Thunder @gainsboroughHQ pic.twitter.com/2IzrcJ14yn
— Steven Cargill (@Steven_Cargill) August 1, 2023
Furthermore, she tried to give 11lbs away to Mountain Song at Newmarket in October when beaten by three-quarters-of-a-length; Mountain Song is a Sea The Stars half-sister to two black type horses and she was second (when giving weight away) to Eternal Hope, a subsequent Lingfield Oaks winner, in February 2023
She won over course and distance on her last start and if she’s ready to go, this is a good opportunity to pick up some Listed black type.
3:15 Kempton – Spirit Mixer @ 9/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
Spirit Mixer has had a fair bit of time away from the track over the last two seasons, but with a race under his belt this season, tomorrow looks like a good chance to catch him.
The six-year-old has a rating of 96, one pound below his mark when second to Trueshan in the 2022 Northumberland Plate and four pounds below his mark when a close sixth in the bet365 Trophy despite an interrupted path through the field.
"One of the great performances!"
Wow, just wow! What a finish by Trueshan despite the extra weight he was carrying over his rivals 😮🤩🤩
Trueshan wins Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap congratulations to @HollieDoyle1 & Alan King 🍾#ITVRacing | @NewcastleRaces pic.twitter.com/TBCK5L4jtG
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 25, 2022
Interestingly, the gelding by Frankel has had just two runs over two miles, both of which were promising off a higher mark than his current rating.
With a few in here potentially needing the run, the booking of Oisin Murphy is a positive and hopefully, he can take advantage of a workable mark.
3:30 Chelmsford – Capulet @ 11/10 with William Hill – 2pt Win
He’s a short price, but I think the 11/10 about Capulet with William Hill is a fair price in the £100,000 conditions stakes at 3:30 tomorrow.
The three-year-old by Justify sets the standard on form having finished second to Diego Velazquez at Leopardstown in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.
He was also third in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes on his final start of the season, with Ghostwriter and Al Musmak ahead of him.
3⃣ out of 3⃣ for Ghostwriter 🏆
Clive Cox wins his first @JuddmonteFarms Royal Lodge Stakes as Ghostwriter stays on best of all under @RKingscote to maintain his unbeaten record.@NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/igYcUAXbe9
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 30, 2023
The latter was second to Rosallion, a subsequent Group 1 winner, in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, a race that has seen Ancient Wisdom and Sunway win Group 1s since and Alyanaabi won a Group 3 before his second to City Of Troy in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.
As Ryan Moore said in his Betfair Racing column, he will get further in time, but this is a nice pot over a mile to have a stab at and he looks like the best horse in the race.
4:55 Kempton – Desert Cop @ 11/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
Andrew Baling is operating at a 22% strike-rate currently, and I’m taking a chance that Desert Cop is well-treated off 97 on his seasonal return.
Out of the Cadeaux Genereux mare Speed Cop, who reached a peak rating of 105 on the track, the four-year-old by Oasis Dream is seven pounds below his peak rating of 105 that he achieved as a three-year-old last season.
He was given a mark of 104 after he beat Shouldvebeenaring at Newcastle in April; the form of that race has worked out well as the second is now rated 113 and came a neck away from winning the Group 1 Sprint Cup Stakes, the third (The X O) is rated 97, the fourth (Michaela’s Boy) was a head away from winning the Irish Rockingham, and the fifth (Perdika) got to within a length of beating Highfield Princess in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.
🙌 @oismurphy strikes on @awchamps Finals Day! Desert Cop lands the talkSPORT 3YO Championships for @AndrewBalding2 at @NewcastleRaces… pic.twitter.com/wwvOKYbCx1
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 7, 2023
After that, he ran a cracker to finish second to Shaquille in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes and he then finished a good sixth to Bradsell in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes.
Four poor races later and the handicapper relented, dropping him to a mark of 97 which allows him to race in his first Class 3 handicap.
Having won first-time-out last season, and with the stable in good form, I think he’s a big price at 11/1.
