Saturday’s tips
- Louis Veron (Market Rasen, 14.10) – 3pts win @ 15/8 (Betfred)
- Queensbury Boy (Market Rasen, 14.45) – 1pt each-way @ 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
- Soldier’s Tree (Newbury, 15.02) – 2pts win @ 3/1 (bet365)
- Prince Quattro (Market Rasen, 17.15) – 1pt win @ 5/1 (bet365)
Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle (14.10, Market Rasen)
I don’t often venture back to National Hunt bets during the summer but this meeting is an exception, because with good prize money up for grabs, I think we’re more likely to see horses giving their all.
This race, in particular, has not been a good one for favourites over the past decade, with just one of them having won, so I’m hoping LOUIS VERON can buck that trend and provide ‘Team Skelton’ with another winner.
It looks like connections have had this race in mind for some time and the five-year-old has improved with every start, winning at Warwick (2m, good) last month and then doing handstands at Stratford when stepped up in trip last time (2m2½f, good).
He looks to have got in lightly for his handicap debut and, as one who travelled as well as he did last time, there’ll be no problem dropping back to around two miles again.
There are several others who look to have been prepped for this day, so it may work out to be competitive but it’s hard to get away from the market leader on paper, at least.
At bigger prices on UK betting sites, I also think High Fibre is interesting. Sean Bowen rides for the first time and trainer James Owen slaps the visor on his seven-year-old.
The yard has won two of the last three renewals of this race, so they know what it takes and he could outperform his odds (12/1 at the time of writing).
Tip: Louis Veron (Market Rasen, 14.10) – 3pts win @ 15/8 (Betfred)
Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (14.45, Market Rasen)
Five of the last ten winners were either outright favourite on betting apps or shared market leadership, so Kingston Narcissus is one to take seriously, again for ‘Team Skelton’, who add cheekpieces for the first-time.
He’s become a victim of his own consistency, running to the same level in three successive starts and now he’s gone up another 3lb I’m not sure about any value in his price (7/2 as I write).
If he’s good enough, hats off to him but I’m looking elsewhere. I think Breizh River, who arrives in form, looks to have just as good claims as the favourite and is a double-figure price, while among others for whom cases can be made are recent Uttoxeter winner Mahons Glory and the Gordon Elliott-trained raider Riaan, who sports first-time blinkers and whose best form would see him involved.
However, the slide rule comes down on QUEENSBURY BOY, one of three representatives from the Mickey Bowen yard. Father Peter trained three of the last eight winners of this race before handing the licence to his son. One of his other sons, James, takes the mount and I think the seven-year-old can have a decent case made from his mark of 127.
The return to this sort of trip looks a positive, he acts on a sound surface and I think we can put a line through his latest effort when he stumbled at the first fence and I’m not sure ever really got over that.
He’s relatively unexposed after just seven chases and if back in the form of his penultimate run at Uttoxeter (2m4f, good), he would go very close.
Tip: Queensbury Boy (Market Rasen, 14.45) – 1pt each-way @ 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes (Group 3) (15.02, Newbury)
Some improving types turn up for what looks a classy Group 3 contest and, with respect to Binhareer, who went off as the favourite for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot (6f, good to firm) and finished sixth, I’m siding with SOLDIER’S TREE here, who finished three places ahead of him.
The selection isn’t so just because of that recent collateral but more so that he is coming on with every start, improving consistently and he preceded that Wokingham effort with a very close third in Listed company.
Conditions and trip appear to suit and if he can maintain the progress he’s been making then he looks capable of landing this prize.
Binhareer has also been going the right way prior to the Royal meeting but you can certainly argue he’s a little more exposed, especially as a result of that latest effort and Symbol Of Honour, who is a Group 2 winner and has been third in Group 3 this season, may be just as big-a-danger to the selection as the William Haggas-trained runner.
Tip: Soldier’s Tree (Newbury, 15.02) – 2pts win @ 3/1 (bet365)
Watch Live Racing At Betway Handicap Hurdle (17.15, Market Rasen)
A field of 13 has been declared for this and the one I like most is PRINCE QUATTRO, whom the champion Sean Bowen rides for James Owen.
The seven-year-old takes plenty of racing, having run 42 times across both codes during his career. Just over half of those have been over hurdles and they’ve seen him win four times.
His career-best in this discipline came at this meeting last year, (2m½f, good), so we know he acts at the track and on the forecast ground.
He’s 4lb higher this time but he arrives in form, having scored on the Flat at Newmarket (2m, good to firm) last month and the extra half mile here should be within his compass.
Tip: Prince Quattro (Market Rasen, 17.15) – 1pt win @ 5/1 (bet365)
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