Saturday Tipping - Goodwood and Newmarket

Glorious Goodwood has absolutely lived up to its name and reputation as a festival, and I feel extremely privileged to have seen many racehorses of utter class in my time, but Frankel winning the Sussex Stakes puts him top of my mental pecking order ahead of Sea The Stars and Zarkava.

Frankel winning the Sussex Stakes is another example of the ‘Classic Generation’ having the apparent upper hand over the older horses, and they can continue this trend in the Nassau Stakes in MISTY FOR ME. The Nassau is a Group One contest for fillies and mares over 1m 2f and attracts horses of the highest calibre, The Aidan O’ Brien trained filly built on her dual group one two year old career in emphatic style winning the Irish 2000 Guineas and then the Pretty Polly Stakes, with the Pretty Polly performance being the stand out, destroying Midday, who she will reoppose here again on Saturday. Misty for Me has proven that her optimum trip is over the distance, tiring in the Epsom Oaks, yet staying on in the Irish guineas, and given the fact three year olds are given 9lb due to weight for age, she should be very hard to beat.

The Stewards Cup is the marmite of betting opportunities –some people love it, some people hate it. There will be a field of 30 runners trying to win this Class 2 handicap, and instead of taking a chance with an outsider, we are playing it safe and sticking with the top weight, the best horse by far in the race, HOOF IT. Kieren Fallon seems to get on tremendously well with this horse, which landed another plunge for trainer Mick Easterby when winning the SkyBet Dash at York, a 20 runner handicap as 3/1 favourite. He is clearly one of those horses that come along that is a group horse slumming it in handicap company, much like Royal Ascot winner Deacon Blues, and as long as the horse deals with the ‘bounce factor’, the Easterby’s could be landing another one of their famous gambles Saturday.

We switch our attention to Newmarket for our final selection, is for in form trainer Andrew Balding, who seems to thrive in tricky handicaps, and has another potential leading player in LAY TIME, whose form looks absolutely rock solid. The filly made her debut last year in a Salisbury maiden, which was won by Group horse for Sir Michael Stoute Shim Sham, and had UAE Oaks winner Khawlah in second. Lay Time finished fifth that day, and then went and won a maiden on her seasonal debut this year, winning a 7 runner maiden over 7f two weeks ago by three lengths. The Balding yard is synonymous with horses coming on for their runs, and this daughter of supersire Galileo looks like the sky is the limit for her.

2.20 Newmarket – Lay Time (Nap)

3.10 Goodwood – Misty For Me

3.45 Goodwood – Hoof It

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Glorious Goodwood Wednesday and Thursday - The Champ Is Here

Glorious Goodwood is yet another highlight in the ever impressive flat season 2011. Goodwood is even more eagerly awaited as we have arguably the greatest duel of the season so far in Frankel vs Canford Cliffs.

The match up pits the two top milers in the world against each other. Both of them are returning from wins at Royal Ascot, Canford Cliffs defeating the wonder mare Goldikova and Frankel beating a strong field in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Frankel is now unbeaten in 7 starts, and is the top horse on ratings, 3lb clear of Canford Cliffs. He also receives a weight for age allowance of 8lb.

That being said, Canford Cliffs is unbeaten in over a year, winning five Group One races in a row. He won this race last year, beating multiple Group One winner Rip Van Winkle, who went on to win the International Stakes at York next time out. The form of both Ascot races has worked out well, with Group One winners emerging from both races in Cape Blanco and Dream Ahead, and although Canford Cliffs is the reigning champion, Frankel is currently the best horse in the world, and if ridden correctly, should win this for his ever-growing band of followers.

The rest of the selections come on Thursday. A horse clearly going in the right direction is CAPTAIN DUNNE, who finally got his deserved victory in the Epsom Dash after unlucky back to back seconds in higher grade company. The Easterby yard is in exceptional form, and he is clearly a horse progressing nicely. He beat a cluster of his rivals last time out and his nearest threat could be recent listed winner Masamah.

OVERTURN is a horse who has been dominating the staying races on the flat in the last two seasons, with the Chester Cup, Northumberland Plate and Galway Plate all on his CV. Trainer Donald McCain opts to run him in the Goodwood Cup rather than the Galway Plate this week in a move that looks sure to suit. The ground was stamina sapping at Newcastle, when he looked to be cruising when running out of gas 2 out, and the better ground will be a big plus. Richard Hughes is booked to ride, and no one knows Goodwood better than him, an important factor as Overturn is likely to make his own running.

Sir Henry Cecil is renowned for his work with fillies and he seems to have uncovered another potential star in WILD COCO. The daughter of Shirocco slammed her rivals in a maiden, which has worked out unbelievably well, with the second, third and fifth all winning next time out. She then won a listed race next time out, looking to have plenty left in the tank, and the step up to 1m 6f should be no problem at all after running on last time out over 1m 4f.

Goodwood (Wednesday) 3.10 Frankel

Goodwood (Thursday) 2.45 Captain Dunne

Goodwood (Thursday) 3.10 Overturn

Goodwood (Thursday) 3.45 Wild Coco

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

KING GEORGE DAY

The King George lies at the heart of the racing calendar, a race where stars are turned into superstars and where lucrative stud careers are established. Recent winners Galileo, Montjeu and Hurricane Run are enjoying great success at stud, joining a host of earlier winners who have gone on to success in the breeding shed. The last two winners, Conduit and Harbinger, stand at stud in Hong Kong and Japan.

This year sees last year’s favourite and Derby and Arc winner WORKFORCE look to make amends after flopping in this race last year. Champion two year old from 2009 St Nicholas Abbey has been on the comeback trail, winning the Group One Coronation Cup even though he appeared not to find the track to his liking.

Another potential superstar is Goldolphin’s Rewilding, who outpointed Aussie star So You Think in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot after previously winning the Sheema Classic at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night.

WORKFORCE is the selection. Although he lost to So You Think in the Eclipse the shorter trip favoured teh ex-Aussie star and Workforce will be an even more potent force over the mile and a half. He should get some cut in the ground which, on his Arc form, should give him an aditional edge over his rivals.

A trainer we nominated to follow two weeks ago was Mick Easterby, and his form has continued, with recent novice stakes winner LAST BID looking to continue winning ways in a 5 furlong York nursery. He won over course and distance two weeks ago, and won well. His form shows he is progressing nicely, and he can take the first race at York for the locally based connections.

Trainer Roger Varian has been the stand out trainer of 2011 since taking over from his boss Michael Jarvis. He has two big chances in consecutive races on Saturday, both of whom were recent impressive winners. The first is DOMINANT, who we have stayed faithful to all year, and who runs in the Skybet York Stakes, a Group Two contest at 3.05.

He has been unfortunate to win only once this year, and has found success since dropping down in trip. Twice Over will obviously set the benchmark over 1m 2f, however Dominant is getting almost a stone in weight and could be the value bet in a race where younger horses have often thrived.

His other runner STREET SECRET comes in the filly’s handicap. The daughter of Street Cry looks an exceptional prospect for the yard, and can build further on her recent win in handicap company. She stepped up well from a good maiden win to put a good field to bed last time out at Epsom, and the form has been franked with second third and fourth all performing with credit in subsequent runs, and Gold Mine (third) winning next time out.

2.00 York – Last Bid

2.30 York – Street Secret

3.05 York – Dominant

4.30 Ascot – Workforce (Nap)

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Midweek Talking Turf - July 21st 2011 - Epsom Downs and Folkestone

After a scintillating week of racing, climaxing in a dramatic last gasp victory for Blue Blunting in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, come down to earth on Thursday, with evening meetings at Folkestone and Epsom. Another tough set of cards but nothing of a better standard than class four.

Our first selection is on the Downs at Epsom, where former champion jockey Ryan Moore goes for his boss, Sir Michael Stoute, with an interesting book of rides. His best chance looks to be on a promising daughter of Pivotal named REGAL HEIRESS, who runs in the 7.45 race.

She has shown good promise in two starts, running over 7 and 8 furlongs. On Thursday she runs over 10, which should, on pedigree, be a big benefit. In her most recent outing, the filly finished five lengths third behind the Roger Varian trained Nahrain, who in her next two starts has won a handicap and a listed race, both with relative ease. Given that Stoute’s horses usually come on for the run, she should be too good for this relatively modest field.

Our remaining selections are from Folkestone both in competitive handicaps. The first horse is the nap for the week, PEARL BLUE in the 7.35. The Charlie Wall trained filly has been very well treated and appears extremely progressive. She finished third on her seasonal reappearance, before going on to win on her debut in handicap company by a very easy five lengths. The form looks absolutely rock solid, with the second and fourth horses that day both coming out and winning a handicap on their next start. There looks to be a lot more to come, and she will be very difficult to beat.

Our final selection runs in the opener, where AVON SUPREME makes her debut in handicap company. She looks to have been dropped in off a very handy mark. Another filly who looks to have been well laid out by trainer Gay Kelleway, last season running in two maidens, finishing fifth and third, with clear improvement from races after looking very green on her debut. In her first run this season, she finished third of 6, 11 lengths away, but was very patiently ridden. Stepping up to 7 furlongs from 5 and 6 in maidens should benefit and the trainer has a good record at the course. She can hopefully add to it here.

Folkestone 7:35 – Pearl Blue (Nap)

Folkestone 6:00 – Avon Supreme

Epsom 7:45 – Regal Heiress

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Prospects August 2011 Blog

Is a dream job ‘Too good to be true?’

When something such as a dream opportunity crops up, there are two distinct trains of thoughts that transmits through ones brain. The first is jubilance, fantastic news, I have worked hard for such an opportunity, I deserve this, I will give it my all, something along the lines of the traditionalist Yorkshire traits that I have become accustomed to. The other thoughts are those of the typical Brit (A Brit cannot be confused to a Yorkshireman). Those thoughts involve self-doubt, worry, the generally wariness of ‘if something appears too good to be true, it usually is’, and the glass isn’t half empty, it is a mere speck of condensation. As people may have gauged through these blogs, or a therapists wet dream as I often think of them as, I am a fan of sport. Actually, that is a lie, I love sport. I also like punting, much in the same ilk of poker, not necessarily the money aspect, the vindication of analysis and correct decision making. The warm glow and subsequent strut of putting in my tipping article a 10/1 winner, and being able to gloat much like the cat who has got the cream, and is now supping like the Greeks are manufacturing (or not) the stuff.

To cut a long story short, there is a current position available at the prestigious racing post. The position is described as a ‘Social Networker’, which I think is fancy talk of saying you post messages on their facebook, twitter, e-mails and website trying to start and engage in discussions about racing and sports. Perfect, right? Well I hate to say, my father pointed out to me a few months ago, this working world and the negativity and pessimism seems to have got to be, and I am not so much of the happy go lucky person who was much like Teflon say 3 years ago, now I seem a lot more of a worrier, filled with more negativity than a Sir Alex Ferguson press conference. Instead of the giddy excitement, much like leading up to the Cheltenham Festival (I know I am sad, but oh well), I have the scepticism and caution that would approach a rectal examination with a questionable practioner.

I will most likely apply, as it would be a dream of mine, paid to write about something I love. The job description urges people to apply who have writing experience, a passion for sports, a blog, a website and a social media history; luckily for me, I seem to tick every box., and then some, as well as a varied and chequered history; all for the right reasons though I might add, I don’t know, there just isn’t the buzz that I thought there would be when seeing it.

I definitely don’t want to stay where I am; there is no long term prospect for what I want to be doing, or where I want to be going. Then again, would I be able to adapt to the hustle and bustle of London? Stay tuned, same bat-time, same bat-place.

The Yorkshireman, Jack Milner

Saturday 16th/Sunday 17th July Tipping

CELIDH HOUSE seems to have finally found her grade in Listed company. After a disappointing summer in 2010, when she was quietly fancied for the Epsom Oaks, the Ralph Beckett filly seemed to rediscover her form towards the end of the year. She returned from a winter break to win a listed race over 10 furlongs at Doncaster and then built upon that further when third to subsequent Falmouth winner Timepiece over 1m 3f at Warwick last month. She looks the one to beat in the 2.35 at Newmarket on Saturday with the big danger coming from last years Oaks third Meeznah.

The Weatherbys Super Sprint is one of the highlights of the flat season and is often a benchmark event for two year old sprinters. Trainer Ed McMahon has a fantastic record with his two year olds and won this race last year with eventual Mill Reef Stakes winner Temple Meads. He has another potential star in this field in IMPASSIVE. This son of superstar Aussie sprinter Choisir has a very low weight, which could prove the key. Trainer Richard Hannon is usually a threat in these types of races, and the main dangers may well sit with his runners Eureka and Redact.

PATHFORK looks to get his season back on track when running in the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The Jessica Harrington trained three year old was far from disgraced in the 2000 Guineas, where the race was blitzed by superstar Frankel and, on his Group One winning two year old form and with no Frankel in the field, he must be a strong candidate here. Recent winner Emulous could go well and John Oxx is likely to also have two runners for the Aga Khan. However, if Pathfork is on form he will be very difficult to beat.

The best bet of the weekend runs on Sunday in the prestigious Darley Irish Oaks, where Epsom Oaks runner up WONDER OF WONDERS looks to reverse the form with winner Dancing Rain. The Aidan O’ Brien filly looked classy when winning the Cheshire Oaks at the Chester May meeting. Dancing Rain was fortunate to get a fantastic front running ride from Johnny Murtagh at Epsom, and she will be unlikely to be able to dictate things in quite the same way at the Curragh. Ballydoyle are likely to employ pacemakers to tee the race up for Wonder of Wonders and Misty for Me. Wonder Of Wonders’ sire Galileo has had offspring win a Grade 1/Group 1 race in 9 of the last 10 weeks, and his daughter WONDER OF WONDERS should continue the sequence on Sunday at the Curragh.

2.35 Newmarket Saturday – Celidh House

3.30 Newbury Saturday – Impassive

3.10 Curragh Saturday – Pathfork

3.40 Curragh Sunday – Wonder of Wonders (Nap)

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Midwwek Turfing Talk - July 13th 211 - Sandown Park and Catterick Bridge

This Wednesday (13^th July) there is a fantastic spread of racing to choose from, with cards spread across three countries, two codes and seven meetings. From this choice of over fourty races I have whittled things down to just three selections in the hope of providing our loyal followers with a nice profit to tee up their weekend punting plans.

Our first selection comes from Catterick in the heart of Yorkshire. The local trainers are usually those to keep an eye out for, especially when the money is down. Trainers such as Richard Fahey, Mark Johnston and David O’ Meara have experienced success in the last few years, however this year it has all been about the EASTERBY family, with both Mick and nephew Tim experiencing a fantastic year thus far. Tim, in particular, seems to have a really good bunch of two year olds.

He has a runner of note in the 2.50, a novice auction race, where his horse PIECE BY PIECE is likely to go off a hot favourite. Piece By Piece won a six furlong maiden at Ripon, which has worked out well, some of those behind coming out to win subsequently. He then ran second recently at Newcastle to a smart horse of Tom Tate’s, Parc De Launay, losing by a neck. His form looks solid enough and the step up to seven furlongs should prove a help rather than a hindrance.

The Henry Candy yard is flying at the minute, in particular when stable jockey Dane O’ Niell is on board. Out of the 44 rides he has had for his boss this year, he has had 11 winners and 13 further places. The team can have further success with BLESS YOU, a recent maiden winner who makes her debut in handicap company for the first time in the 6:50 at Sandown on Wednesday. The filly has been given a mark of 82, which means she will carry top weight, however she looks to have bags of improvement to come, and has improved with every run thus far. The maiden form looks strong, with half the field at least placed in their subsequent runs, and she looks the one to beat.

Further down the card at Sandown there looks to be another horse of interest in the Mark Tompkins trained BATTERY POWER, complete with eye-catching jockey booking Kieren Fallon. The Royal Applause filly is stepping up to 1m 6f for the first time, and looks like one to keep an eye on. Since winning her maiden with relative ease at Southwell back in November, she was stepped up to 10 furlongs on her reappearance, and finished fourth of six. She was entitled to that run, having been off for 200 days . The recent promise she showed when finishing second in a Classified Stakes race at Newmarket earmarks her as the potential value in a trappy handicap.

2.50 Catterick – Piece By Piece (Nap)

6.50 Sandown – Bless You

8.50 Sandown – Battery Power

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Saturday Tipping - Ascot, York and Newmarket

The Darley July Cup this Saturday at Newmarket is the showpiece of a great weekend of racing. In addition to the famous sprint we have a great supporting card at Newmarket and good racing from York, Ascot, Chester, Hamilton and Salisbury.

Our first selection is in the July Cup itself where I’ve gone for DELEGATOR, who seeks to provide race sponsors Darley with their first victory in this Group One contest. I was fortunate to witness his win in the Group Three Duke of York Stakes last time out in person and he was scintillating. The ground was the key that day, and he clearly loves it as firm as possible. He was pulled out of the Golden Jubilee due to the ground going soft and that enforced break may be another factor that works in his favour here.

The John Smiths Cup is run at York Saturday and is another tough, competitive handicap with a strong field. The standout is PEKAN STAR, a horse who may be a group class horse masquerading as a handicapper. He blitzed a field of 15 last time out at York in his first run in a year. He should come on a fair bit for that run, as much of Roger Varian’s string do, and, in my opinion, he may be several steps ahead of the handicapper and could turn out to be pretty special.

CITYSCAPE ran an absolutely blinder to get just three lengths of two of the best milers in the world when finishing third to Goldikova and Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He looks like he should have conditions to suit in order to finally get his nose ahead this season at Ascot on Saturday.

He has been rather unlucky this season, and has not had his ideal soft ground. That looks set to change with showers forecast. Last year he posted wins in Listed and Group races and is highly thought of by trainer Roger Charlton. He runs against Dick Turpin, who has beaten him already, once more but I think he can get the better this time, with Turpin running poorly in the Lockinge Stakes and then finishing last of nine at Longchamp in the interim. Cityscape is on an upward curve and could make all under recent Group One winning jockey Pat Cosgrave.

3.15 York – Pekan Star

3.35 Newmarket – Delegator (Nap)

3.45 Ascot – Cityscape

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Newmarket July Meeting - Day 1 and Day 2 - Thursday and Friday

The Newmarket July meeting is one of the highlights of the flat racing calendar and this year’s three day festival commences on Thursday with a fantastic line up that includes such prestigious races as the Bahrain Trophy (Group 3) and the Princess of Wales Stakes (Group 2). This is followed up on Friday with the spotlight on the fillies with the Falmouth Stakes (Group 1) and the Cherry Hinton Stakes (Group 2).

Our first stand out is SAPHRESA, who runs in the Falmouth Stakes on Friday. The French mare is extremely tough, as could be seen when she battled to win the Sun Chariot Stakes in October. She beat a good field that day, including group winners Strawberrydaqiri, Spacious, Aviate and last years Falmouth winner, Music Show. She doesn’t want it too firm underfoot and if the ground dries out too much however, it could be worth looking at the Sir Henry Cecil trained Timepiece, or the Mike De Kock South African import River Jetez.

The best bet on Thursday could be REDWOOD, who looks to go one better in this year’s Princess of Wales Stakes. The form of his second in this race last year is rock solid, with the winner Sans Frontieres having gone on to land Group 1 success and, from further back in that field, Tazeez and Holberg have both since tasted further group triumphs. Redwood has raced exclusively in Group 1/Grade 1 races in the interim, racing on three continents in the process, and has yet to be out of the first three. His second to Rewilding in the Sheema Classic has since been franked by both Rewilding and So You Think, and he looks to be the best bet of the week.

The last selection runs in the Bahrain Trophy on Thursday and is a horse that has previously been successfully tipped up in this column, the John Gosden trained MASKED MARVEL. He won the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood impressively, with Queens Vase winner Namibian among those behind. His run in the Derby, where he finished 8th of 13, may look disappointing on paper but it was a very solid effort. Memphis Tennessee, Carlton House and Seville franked the form in the Irish Derby, and Pisco Sour, from further down the Derby field, won The Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. Masked Marvel may benefit from missing Royal Ascot and looks the class act in a weak renewal.

Newmarket (Thu) 3.00 – Redwood (Nap)

Newmarket (Thu) 1.20 – Masked Marvel

Newmarket (Fri) 3.00 – Saphresa

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Coral Eclipse Day - Tipping from Sandown Park and Haydock Park

The Coral Eclipse is one of the highlights of the flat racing calendar, and the Group One contest will look to set tongues wagging once more, as we have a mammoth clash for the titans as the Australian superstar import for Ballydoyle takes on theDerby and Arc winning hero Workfoce.

I have long been an admirer of So You Think and prior to the season beginning, I personally backed him for both the King George and The Arc. However it seems the stable have opted to stick with 10f races since his disappointing second in the Prince of Wales, and I have to begrudgingly admit he will be second best here once more again. Workforce looked like he had retained all of his class in a pleasing reappearance, winning the Brigadier Gerard stakes convincingly over same course and distance. He will have fitness on his side from missing Royal Ascot, and a strongly run 10 furlongs looks ideal for him here.

MARGOT DID is a horse who is finally fulfilling the promise she showed in fits and starts last year, and looks to continue her fine form by completing a hatrick in the Coral Charge, which is a group three race ran over five furlongs. Connections have changed tactics this season and it has worked a treat. Instead of attempting to come from last to first, jockey Hayley Turner in the filly’s last two runs have made all, and she has thrived, and she runs against fairly exposed opponents, such as Triple Aspect and Captain Dunne.

The Lancashire Oaks is the highlight of a fine card at Haydock Park, and the group two contest looks a wide open affair with dual Irish and English Oaks heroine Snow Fairy opting for the Eclipse Stakes and the Jim Bolger trained Banimpire going instead for the Irish Oaks next month. The open race looks to be taylor made forVITA NOVA who looks to have the potential to be a very smart filly in the making. The daughter of Galileo ran Ferdoos to a neck upon her only career loss in a listed contest over same course and distance, with the pair pulling 4 ½ lengths clear of the field, which looks the best piece of form from the field.

2.00 Sandown – Margot Did

3.10 Sandown – Workforce (Nap)

2.50 Haydock – Vita Nova

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner