The last race at Haydock looks set to be an attritional staying handicap. Firebird Flyer was a winner of the Midlands Grand National last year in similar conditions, but it will take a career best off his current mark to be victorious here. Midnight Prayer will also need to produce…
1pt win Fox Norton @11/4, 13:55 Cheltenham, Sunday
Cheltenham hosts a good-quality card on Sunday, and the Grade 2 Shloer Chase is just one of many hot races. This was the scene of the beginning of the great Sprinter Sacre’s renaissance last season, as he waltzed this on his way to a second Champion Chase crown in March.…
0.5pt each-way Wolf Of Windlesham @40/1, 14:30 Cheltenham, Sunday
I can’t resist throwing a few quid at an old favourite WOLF OF WINDLESHAM in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday given his huge 40/1 price tag. He’s not old at all in truth, being a four-year-old – who do admittedly not have a good record in the race –…
1pt win Moon Racer @5/2, 12:45 Cheltenham, Sunday
Cheltenham’s opening race on Sunday sees the past two seasons’ Champion Bumper winners renew rivalries after a recent encounter in Perth, where 2014 winner MOON RACER got the better of this year’s victor Ballyandy by three-quarters-of-a-length. That was off level weights yet Moon Racer, trained by David Pipe, concedes 4lbs to…
1pt each-way Frodon @8/1, 0.5pt each-way Sizing Granite @28/1, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday
BetVictor now sponsor the feature race of Cheltenham’s Open meeting, the Gold Cup Handicap Chase over two-and-a-half miles. As ever, it looks an extremely-competitive renewal with 3lb separating the seven at the top of the weights, which includes year’s winner Annacotty for Alan King. He won the race off a mark…
1pt win Will O'the West @9/1, 1pt win Allysson Monterg @10/1, 15:00 Cheltenham, Saturday
An incredibly open listed handicap hurdle with six co-favourites all priced at around 8/1. Fingal Bay (2/2 over timber at Cheltenham) and Irish Saint drop in class, switching from fences for their opening run of the season. They occupy the top two spots in the handicap for the Hobbs and…
0.5pt each-way East Indies @14/1, 12:40 Cheltenham, Saturday
The jumps season moves up another gear this weekend with Cheltenham’s Open meeting, arguably the biggest race day this side of Christmas. These pages won Saturday’s opening juvenile hurdle last year with an ex-flat horse and 12/1-shot in Wolf Of Windlesham, ridden by Joshua Moore – and at a big price and with…
1pt win Lady Eli @3/1, 0.5pt each-way Catch A Glimpse @20/1, 19:43 Santa Anita, Saturday
At 3/1 I fancy LADY ELI to land the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf after proving her effectiveness at the Santa Anita track when winning the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf two seasons ago. Injury interrupted her three-year-old career but she got back to winning ways last time out at Belmont Park, beating…
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and Turf Mile selections, Santa Anita, Saturday
Day two of the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, Los Angeles, and Aidan O’Brien has sent his Washington DC on a raid to collect the spoils in the Turf Sprint. A rare winner, Washington DC has run with huge credit in sprints from five to six furlongs this season and…
1pt win La Coronel @9/1, 1pt win Victory To Victory @14/1, 22:50 Santa Anita, Friday
Britain’s flat season has come to a close but, over in Los Angeles, Santa Anita is hosting the Breeders’ Cup, America’s biggest race meet. The weekend hosts a whopping 13 Grade 1 races and often attracts some Europe’s finest equine talent – particularly those horses who love summer ground. Santa…