ITV Racing Tips: A quartet of fancies across the cards
Cheltenham may now be gone, but the action never stops in the world of racing and this Saturday we venture to Doncaster for the Lincoln, the first big race of the flat season on these shores. The ITV Racing cameras are in town as well as bringing us some racing from Newbury and one contest from Bangor, so Billy Grimshaw has scoured the cards and picked out a quartet of Saturday bets...
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13:20 Doncaster - William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes
It always pays dividends to tread lightly as the flat season begins on soft ground and with horses having sometimes more than one eye on future targets. Nevertheless, there can be punting opportunities to take advantage of if looking hard enough and I believe I've found a decent one in here. Granted, we are taking his fitness and preparedness for this contest as a given but the same can be said for the full field and at 5/1 at the time of writing, HOLLOWAY BOY looks the one to side with in this Listed opener.
He has smart Doncaster form behind Auguste Rodin, and we know what he went on to achieve, and while he was rarely sighted last season and in one of two starts flopped, there were excuses. He is clearly not an easy horse to keep sound, and indeed ran himself into trouble plenty of times as a two-year old, however he smacks of one who will improve bundles for being gelded and that has happened over the winter. He should handle the surface and I think he may well be the most talented in here.
Knight as favourite makes no appeal whatsoever to me given his profile, while second fav Charyn is a Roger Varian runner and they are rarely fit and raring to go first time out. Astral Beau, the mare, has better claims and will act on the surface but I am willing to chance that Burke has Holloway Boy cherry ripe for this and hopefully it kick starts a big season.
14:10 Newbury - Bet In-Play On Racing With BetVictor Novices' Handicap Hurdle
The price has almost gone already as I type, which is frustrating, but the claims of KARTOON AND CO stick out like a sore thumb in here and he warrants support, be that each-way or win only if that is more your cup of tea should you be reading this when all the 7s and 8s has disappeared.
This horse comes here for the Skelton team who are no doubt still on cloud nine following their breakout Cheltenham Festival, and with the Trainers Title now in Dan Skelton's crosshairs they will be itching to bag as many big Saturday pots as they can. Despite being winless since his debut, this horse has been rapidly improving and if things had gone differently at Sandown last time out may well have won on handicap bow.
If he would've won, we'd be getting nowhere near the same value we are today however upon rewatching that race, in which he finished second to a front runner he let have far too much rope, it is clear this is a nifty jumper and one who should love what Newbury has to offer. It remains to be seen how good his conqueror that day Spiced Rum is, but one suspects he is handy and being given just a 3lb rise by the handicapper for that effort will surely have had Skelton smiling.
In here, the favourite Into The Park looks far too short on the form he has shown thus far and if choosing a rival that worried me when backing Kartoon and Co, it would be the second fav Spirits Bay who is clearly thriving at the moment for Nigel Tiwston Davies.
14:25 Doncaster - William Hill Epic Boost Spring Mile Handicap
The draw at Doncaster can be muddling and in a big field here, it is tough to know where will prove advantageous to be. Perhaps looking for those who will be prominent in a race with no bona fide front runner could be a decent way to play the race, and at double figure odds I thought heavy ground winner MAYSONG rated a solid enough each-way proposition.
Alice Haynes' charge may not be the best horse in this race, however we know he will handle the track and conditions and he comes in here with race fitness on his side having ran well at Kempton just over a fortnight ago to finish second. With no pace on it would be no surprise to see three pound claimer Christian Howarth send his horse on to the lead and as we have seen over his career, Maysong is a tough battler who will not give up his position without a fight.
The claims of Thunder Roar also appealed to me as Jamie Spencer is booked and in a race with muddling pace, there are few better at judging where to be and when to play your hand. He is a heavy and soft ground winner too so may well be in the mix, but he's half the price of Maysong so on purely value grounds Alice Haynes' runner represents the best bet.
14:40 Newbury - Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Handicap Chase
The Skeltons could be in for a belting Saturday if my prediction for the race previous to this comes true and then they have favourite Heltenham in here, however for betting purposes he looks too short to get involved with. Is he the most likely winner? I'd have to say yes, however my suspicion s the race he won last time out has been slightly overrated and therefore he could have a job on his hands up 6lbs.
Solo made some appeal with Freddie Gingell taking off 5lbs, but I am loathe to tip him up even each-way at the price he is now (11/2 at the time of writing) because he smacks me as one of those horses that has developed an allergy to winning. Maybe that's harsh, but it's the impression he's given me of late. Galahads Quest is another untrustworthy sort, while Gustavian was put in his place by the favourite last time they met and with him needing a real bog and Newbury one of the fastest drying tracks around, he rates another to avoid.
SIR PSYCHO was also well behind Heltenham last time out, in the end finishing fourth with Gustavian in third. However, I am confident he can at least turn the third and fourth placings around here and who knows, with a more alert start and better jumping he could give the top horse something to think about. Sir Psycho has always been a strong traveller and now that Harry Derham has had him for a few runs, there have been signs of improvement mixed in with his blunders.
Newbury could be just the sort of track he can get away with his mistakes at so if PauL O'Brien can start him off more alertly this time, he rates a solid each-way play who could well get into a rhythm and then make Heltenham work.
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Lincoln Preview
The feature race of the day is of course the Lincoln at 15:35 at Doncaster, and below you can read Billy's full preview of that race...