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Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Liverpool And Chelsea Face Penalties

Derby beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup last night after one of the best ever penalty shootouts. It meant something to Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard was proud to beat his old boss. There could be penalties in tonight’s tie between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield because there is be little between the two sides. In this competition if the scores are level after 90 minutes there is no extra time and the outcome is decided by penalties.  The two sides meet in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and that fixture will mean much more. Chelsea have scored one goal in the last nine meetings with Liverpool and on this occasion that might suffice to earn a DRAW which can be backed at 3/1 with bet365. 

The United States have not won the Ryder Cup in Europe for 25 years. The last time Tiger Woods was on a winning team was in 1999. Bookmakers say about 80% of the outright bets have been on the States. On average world rankings their 12 man team are the ones to beat. The Ryder Cup is being played at Le Golf National near Paris so the match comes to France for the first time. The Europeans have more experience of the layout because it hosts the French Open but the set up could be different this week. The last four holes provide a perfect amphitheatre for matchplay golf and most of the 28 matches will be decided over the finishing stretch. The biggest winning margin is 4 and 3 at 25/1 with Ladbrokes which would mean every match reaching the 15th hole and beyond and no player or pairing gets a drubbing.   

There are two Flat meetings and one over jumps in Britain today while they race on the All-Weather at Goodwood but there is no racing in Ireland. There is £216,000 in prize money up for grabs at the 7 race fixture at Goodwood which is excellent for a midweek meeting at this time of the year. The Class 1 Listed race over one mile and two furlongs (3.35) offers the biggest prize fund and the race has attracted a small but decent field. Gabr has run well in better company this season and Spark Plug has a good chance on form but another runner is preferred. THREADING was second in a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot and that form stands out so the horse is tipped at 7/2 with William Hill which is a price worth taking.   

Blue Point And Mordin The Big Race Double – By Ian Hudson

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The racing today is about quality as well as quantity and the highlight of nine meetings in Britain and Ireland is the Group 1 July Cup. The Newmarket feature often identifies the best sprinter in Europe. However, the race has lost some of its prestige because last year’s winner, Harry Angel, is not taking part this time. On UK form Blue Point is the best horse in the race. Redkirk Warrior is one of the best sprinters in Australia but may struggle again at this level in England.

The John Smith’s Cup is one of the richest handicaps of the season and is the main race at York. This is another race in which last year’s winner is not in the field. Ballet Concerto won of a rating of 102 and the lowest rated horse this year is four pounds higher. Mordin has a decent opportunity on ratings and form. The horse is due to be ridden by Graham Lee who has won the Grand National and Gold Cup at Royal Ascot so he has excelled on some big occasions in the past.

The July Cup is a race for horses aged three and older and the distance is six furlongs. It is one of Britain’s most prestigious sprint races and a championship contest. Harry Angel won as a three-year-old last season and benefitted from a weight for age allowance. The horse tracked the leaders and was strong in the final furlong. It would have been interesting to see how Harry Angel performed without the allowance but the horse was withdrawn earlier in the week.

The champion sprinter was injured at Royal Ascot when ducking down in the stalls. Harry Angel was the highest rated sprinter in the world last season. Merchant Navy  won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in which Harry Angel could not recover from losing several lengths at the start. The big disappointment was Redkirk Warrior who finished 10th without getting into contention at any stage in the race. The horse has winning form with Merchant Navy in Australia.

The Newmarket Handicap is a Group 1 race for horses aged two and older over six furlongs that is run at Flemington. Redkirk Warrior won the race and beat Merchant Navy who finished third less than half a length adrift of the winner. The winner was carrying 10 pounds more than Merchant Navy and that form makes the July Cup winnable but Blue Point can be the fly in the ointment. The horse won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot and the form is solid.

The York heritage handicap is virtually a conditions race due to the narrow range of weights in the projected field. Even though three-year-olds are eligible no horses of that age have shown the form to get a place in the field. With Lee on board Mordin can reward his backers by winning the race at a big price. The horse has finished second on his last three starts but won the three other races he contested. Blue Point and Mordin would make a lucrative double on a busy day for racing.

Trackside In Ireland – By Declan O’Donoghue

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At Gowran Park last Sunday the best wine was kept ’til last where Ming scored for Joseph O’Brien.

With Jim Bolger’s Strike For Freedom a non runner (off feed) only three faced the starter.

Chiana Luna, who had finished out the back in the Irish 1,000 Guineas a few weeks before, was a hot 1/2 jolly.

Yet the smart money all day had been for Ming who was hammered into 13/8 in the offices.

Despite that – and possibly because of liabilities running on to the odds on favourite – Ming opened up at 5/2 in the ring and was an easy to back 9/4 shot at the off.

The early birds in the offices knew their stuff however as Joseph’s gelding took over entering the straight and won comfortably under Seamie Heffernan.

He had been an impressive debut winner over ten furlongs at Dundalk but flopped in a Group 3 at The Curragh.

Perhaps that was a reaction to the unkindest cut of all as it was his first run after been gelded.

Yet he left that Headquarters disappointment well behind now at this lovely south Kilkenny woodlands track.

Joseph said: “He ran too free the last day at The Curragh but settled well today and quickened up nicely.”

We think he’s a nice horse. We will look for another conditions race, but he’s well entitled to step up to Group or Listed company” he added.

Heffernan was completing a double as earlier he was on target for Ballydoyle on Curly, whose returned odds of 7/2 must have delighted off course supporters.

Quite how she was that price is a mystery, there was even some “fours” in the ring, but she won as she pleased and will most assuredly go on better things.

Runner up Park Bloom has been a work in progress for local handler Jim Bolger but she’s getting there though she will need ten furlongs at least to really shine.

Jessica Harrington was basking in both the sunshine and the warm afterglow of Alpha Centauri’s blistering Royal Ascot run two days before.

And to add to the celebrations St Brelades Bay – a bit of a character and clearly a great favourite around the stable – won on what was obviously one of his going days.

This six furlong specialist, a 5/1 chance here, won for the first time now over seven and Jessica said “I never really know when he’s going to do it.”

“He’s in great order and it suited him the way the race was run, with horses coming back to him.”

 

Declan’s Irish Racing Service continues in red hot form, including FOUR OUT OF FOUR at Down Royal last Saturday – Change Of Velocity 11/2 (won 7/2); Kalaxana 7/2 (w 6/4); Soffia 3/1 and Kafu 11/4 (w 11/8). 

And, after Settle For Bay at Royal Ascot the previous week, he had another 16/1 winner now in Draycott Place, and also tipped Curly 7/2; Secret Thoughts 5/2 (w 7/4); Ruler Of France 7/4; Mayaadeen 6/5; Ravenhill 6/5 (w evens) and Robin Des Foret 11/10 (w 4/7).

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Harry Angel Is The Horse For The Diamond Jubilee Stakes – By Ian Hudson

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It’s the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot on Saturday and midway through the third day the races to be the top jockey and trainer were still far from over. John Gosden and Frankie Dettori took the honours at the start of the meeting but Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore bounced back with winners on Thursday. There are six races on each of the five days so 30 races up for grabs during the best Flat meeting in the world.

The most famous racing fixture in the sport features eight Group 1 races and 18 Group races in total. The most prestigious race of the summer festival is the Gold Cup. It is the longest championship race at Royal Ascot and the winner will have an influence on who is the leading jockey and trainer. The market leaders were Order Of St George for O’Brien and Moore and Stradivarius for Gosden and Dettori. The latter won an epic race so the trainer and jockey are in good shape to win the leading training and riding honours.

Royal Ascot used to be a four day meeting and the Saturday fixture was called Ascot heath. There was always the odd race goer who thought it was still the royal meeting and turned up in top hat and tails. They probably looked a bit conspicuous amongst those attending in regular clothes. The Saturday of the week is now part of Royal Ascot and the racing justifies that status, especially in the form of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes which is a Group 1 contest over six furlongs.

The race often identifies the best sprinter in Europe in the first half of the season and sometimes even the best in the world. There are some speedy animals racing in the Southern Hemisphere but the journey to Ascot is sometimes seen to be too long and potentially unsettling. However, Redkirk Warrior has made the trek from Australia and connections are confident their horse can win the race. The dual Newmarket Handicap winner will be ridden by Dettori in attempting to become the first winner of the race from Australia since Black Caviar in 2012.

Merchant Navy is an ex-Australia based horse who is now owned by Coolmore and trained in Ireland by O’Brien. The horse finished a neck behind Redkirk Warrior when third in this year’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March. Merchant Navy was going best at the end of the race and can reverse the form. US Sprinter Bound For Nowhere represents North America and could be the fly in the ointment but that is speculation rather than based on proven form.

Limato and Librasa Breeze have something to find on recent form but the former has better prospects based on Group 1 runs in the past. Limato looked like a world-beater four seasons ago but hasn’t quite built on that potential. His best efforts have come in races over six furlongs so the horse has the speed to figure. However, Harry Angel has produced the best sprint form in the last year.

With Redkirk Warrior and Merchant Navy in particular involved Harry Angel won’t have things his own way in the Saturday feature and the race distance is not ideal but class can prevail. The horse is the ante post favourite but no challenge has been beyond him recently and he can enhance his reputation even further by adding another race at the highest level to his record. To record a win Harry Angel will have to finish in front of The Tin Man the horse that won the race last year. Harry Angel is good enough to win the 2018 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Tuesday’s Horses In Focus – By Unity Racing Investments

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Well what a treat of sport we have with the world cup and Royal Ascot in the same week and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to today’s Ascot card. I did have small bet on England yesterday taking 9/1 for a Kane headed goal. So the injury time winner was a double celebration.

Right let’s get straight into it here.

Ascot 2-30 Group 1 (Class 1) 8f – LIGHTENING SPEAR at 10/1 would probably be a solid each way selection and is a better price than 7/2 against Rhododendron who beat him by a short head. SO BELOVED 100/1 looks a huge price and comes out well on our ratings despite having plenty to find at the weights.

Ascot 3-05 Group 2 (Class 1) 6f – INDIGO BALANCE at 14/1 is the horse for us here I was taken with the run at the Curragh – Slowly away stayed on well to win going away. A really nice-looking horse and full brother to a group 2 winner. I would play each way to spread the risk.

Ascot 3-40 Group 1 (Class 1) 5f – BATTASH at 5/2 is the one for me here. Totally demolished a group 1 field in Chantilly last year and his win at Haydock has been franked. Hopefully Lady Aurillia will run out of juice setting it up nicely for the selection.

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Rick’s Sports Betting: Royal Ascot Could Be Good For Gosden And Dettori – By Rick Elliott

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Royal Ascot is the greatest Flat meeting in the world and the best trainer and jockey have dominated more than most in recent years. Apart from the five English and Irish Classics the Group contests at the meeting are amongst the most prestigious in the sport. When the money is down and reputations are at stake Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore deliver and Royal Ascot is the meeting that matters most.

It is the most lucrative meeting in Britain and attracts the biggest crowd. For some it is a social occasion but racing professionals understand the importance of having runners. The racing is broadcast in over 200 countries as much as for the tradition as the quality of the sport. When the Queen discusses her engagements at the start of the year the first dates that are set in stone are the five days at her course.

The equivalent over jumps is the Cheltenham Festival but that is more a championship meeting. The whole National Hunt season is centred on the four days at Cheltenham and even the Grand National meeting at Aintree is somewhat secondary. The Flat has Champions Day in October so Ascot is a mid-season event and the races standalone rather then be the culmination of months of racing.

Ascot employs an individual whose job it is to attract international runners. Australia has become a target for entries and in the past Black Caviar has raced at the royal meeting. The big target this time was Winx but connections decided there was not a great deal to be gained from a long trip to Britain. A summer campaign in Europe was mooted but in the best interests of the horse Winz will not be at Royal Ascot.

Royal Ascot has become an annual port of call for the US trainer, Wesley Ward and his sprinters have become competitive. Lady Aurelia will take some beating in the King’s Stand Stakes and the horse will be assisted by Frankie Dettori on board. Ward usually has several runners at the Royal meeting and often has winners but Lady Aurelia is his best chance. Frankie loves Ascot and he has a good book of rides.

If O’Brien and Moore are not the leading trainer and jockey John Gosden and Dettori could take the titles. Cracksman and Stradivarius are leading fancies for their races and Gosden has leading contenders in other races. In 1996 Dettori went through the card at a regular meeting at Ascot and he became famous for the magnificent seven winners he rode. We should see several flying dismounts at his favourite track.

There are eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot and 18 in total. There are 30 races over five days are all covered live on ITV. Bookmakers will be offering concessions and odds boosts for new and existing customers. Only the Classics on the Flat generate more betting interest than the feature races. The time of the year and good ground mean the top races often go to form and you rarely get shock winners. Very few outsiders make the frame or win Group 1 races.

The World Cup dominates the media but racing has its week in the sun. Royal Ascot is the best Flat racing occasion and this year it could be especially rewarding for Gosden and Dettori.

Some Thoughts On Royal Ascot – By The Champagne Kid

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Royal Ascot for many is the ultimate racing festival of the year. The royalty, the fashion, the class horses in competition for glory for their owners, trainers, jockeys and punting supporters is what makes it one of the world’s greatest racing festivals.

It is hard to argue otherwise, and any racing fan without some sort of a feeling of excitement and / or anticipation about this five day event is probably missing some sort of vital element of whatever goes into the make-up of the human condition.

There are so many aspects to this festival that excite people who otherwise have little interest in racing, it makes you wonder sometimes how our racing authorities generally fail to capitalise on this annual focus on Royal Ascot to invigorate more public interest in the day-to-day racing meetings outside of this event. And there is plenty of scope for that.

For all that the racing is top-class, and Ascot is a pretty decent racecourse in most aspects, my own personal experiences of the Royal meeting leave me a little bit cold. Too many people; too much noise; difficulty in getting a decent viewing position for those old-fashioned binocular viewers like me (although I do have what I consider to be the best image-stabilising binos you could find in my Canon 12×36 IS II 5’s) and just the general over-crowding and interminable queuing to get a drink or a bite to eat. Not for me!

But for all us racing fans, the question is, as it always was and always will be, who are going to be the winners? It always bugs me when racing commentators and pundits talk about ‘the punters being on top’ just because a few favourites have gone in. Whenever I hear that phrase said I bristle, because as someone who looks for the less considered but potentially over-priced chance in the market, it nearly always confirms that I have had a bad day. That said, it is not always so at Royal Ascot. Hot favourites win at Royal Ascot probably to a greater extent than they do in general throughout the year. Backing highly rated favourites at Royal Ascot may not make you particularly rich, but on the other hand, you will not lose much even in a bad year.

In the last Royal Ascot meetings, there have been 150 winning horses. Almost half of those winners (71 in fact) have been ridden by 6 still active jockeys who are Ryan Moore, William Buick, Jamie Doyle, Frankie Dettori, Adam Kirby and Jamie Spencer.  And just over one third of those 150 winners (52 to be precise) have been trained by only 4 trainers – Aiden O’Brien, John Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute and Wesley Ward

As for my own fancies for the meeting, I must admit that I am not much of an ante-post punter. As such, I will not be investing until day-of-race markets are up, but a couple of horses do interest me in advance of the meeting. One is Mission Impassible, entered in the Coronation Stakes, for whom I made a case on my Champagne Kid service for the French 1000 Guineas. In that race, she suffered badly in running, but then went on to win next time out in a Group 2 at Chantilly.  As a charge of Jean-Claude Rouget, a two-time winner of the Coronation Stakes, I’d be interested in her if she does take her place. For the intrepid ante-post punter, there is 33/1 currently available.

Another horse given a mention in this column a few weeks ago as one to follow, is Mark Johnston’s Dee Ex Bee. At the time I had seen him as an interesting type for the Queen’s Vase, but he has blown his cover somewhat by coming second in The Derby. He now carries an entry in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes, but his Epsom exploits now have him as short as 7/2 in a place for that event. There is also some 8/1 available for those who don’t mind the inherent risks of an ante-post bet.

Whatever your approach to the Royal meeting is, the best advice is to make sure you enjoy it. You will find elsewhere, many a word written by all and sundry pointing you in the direction of their own fancies. Much of what is written will turn out to be totally wrong. If you are getting lost in a sea of impossible-to-solve cavalry charge handicaps, bear in mind some of the facts presented above. Sometimes it pays not to ignore the obvious. Colour of the Queen’s hat?  I’ll go for lime green on day one!

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Cracksman Is A Banker For Royal Ascot – By Ian Hudson

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Royal Ascot is the best Flat meeting in the world and provides five days of the best racing of the year over which time there are 18 Group races. There is a highlight each day at 4.20pm and Cracksman is the best horse in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday. Stradivarius could develop into an even better stayer and can win the Gold Cup the following day. Without Parole is the horse to back in the St James’s Palace Stakes on the first day of the meeting.

The Royal meeting is the Flat’s equivalent of the National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham. However, it is more an early summer championship meeting than the climax of the jumps that Cheltenham has now become.  Cheltenham appeals to anyone who bets on horses but Royal Ascot is slightly different because what you are wearing is as just as important as the bets. There is over £5 million pounds up for grabs and the fixture is televised all over the world.

An amazing amount of food is eaten over the five days but the alcohol consumption is no longer announced. Security should prevent any unsavoury incidents so people will feel comfortable as they study the form. There are sometimes odds-on favourites but Cracksman is one of the fancied runners who should prevail. The horse is one of the shortest priced in ante post lists but can be backed at odds-against which indicates the competitive nature of the racing at the meeting the Queen always attends.

Cracksman came third in the Derby and then produced more solid Group 1 form. However, ridden by Frankie Dettori the horse was hating Epsom and the ground in the Coronation Cup which he won with nothing to spare having looked like being booked for second place for most of the straight. Cracksman was not at his best at Epsom but has impressed in his other runs. Eminent could take him on but the horse ran poorly at Chester last month but finished less than a length behind Cracksman in the Derby.

On Derby form the two horses should be closer together in the betting and on each way value Eminent is the horse to back. Reversing the Derby form could be difficult but the trainer can see him running a big race and even beating Cracksman. Martyn Meade trains Eminent and he was quoted in the Racing Post last week saying:

“I’ve got the utmost confidence in my horse. He had a good season last term, it was just winning that Group missed out on: I’m pretty confident”

Cracksman has improved since the Derby but is not unbeatable and Eminent could be the horse to just that but the most likely winner is the favourite.

Big Orange beat Order Of St George narrowly in the Gold Cup last year. The horse is absent this time so Order Of St George could win the race for the second time in three years but Stradivarius is fancied to come first. The John Gosden trained runner was very impressive in the Yorkshire Cup and can give the trainer is first win in the Gold Cup. Order Of St George may have gone to the well too many times and Stradivarius can benefit if age catches up with that horse.

Without Parole has something to find on form and ratings but has the ability to win a race like the St James’s Palace Stakes on the Tuesday. The horse is relatively inexperienced but can run to a higher level than in the past and will be a tough nut to crack. However, Cracksman is one of the bankers of Royal Ascot

Declan’s Eye-Catchers – By Declan O’Donoghue

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BROTHER BEAR (Jessica Harrington) Looked a hot prospect early last season but the wheels came off after a creditable effort at Royal Ascot. Back in business at Naas last Sunday where the return of fast ground clearly made a difference. Goes for the Jersey Stakes but in the longer term will certainly get a mile.

DAMUT (Mick Winters) Made a dramatic impact in his first run for his new trainer when beating the high class Rashaan at Limerick. For a novice chaser he has plenty of experience, and clearly some previously untapped talent under the bonnet too.

DEVIL’S GLEN (Alan Fleming) Clipped from 50/1 to 25’s before scooting home in the opener at Tipp on Thursday where he beat a decent yardstick in Gold Seal who had every chance. Onwards and upwards from here.

JETEZ (Jessica Harrington) Good ground made a world of difference to this Getaway gelding as he justified strong market support – 15/8 to 5/4 jolly – at Limerick. Needs two and a half miles to really shine, and his jumping can be hit and miss though it was sharp and sure when he really needed it in the closing stages.  No doubt he is Galway bound, but he should pick up another race or two in the meantime.

PREMIER LEAGUE (Mick Mulvany) Jockey Chris Hayes said this Sligo winner could be well suited to Galway. That’s important because a lot of horses can’t cope with the famous Ballybrit circuit at all. He has won over six furlongs but seven seems to suit better and there are plenty of opportunities over that trip at the western Festival.

SCRIOBH NUA (Jim Bolger) Translates – in reverse – as new writing. And she went into many notebooks with a staying on debut third over a mile to hot Ballydoyle filly Broadway. Kevin Manning had quite a job pulling her up afterwards, she clearly enjoyed herself and wouldn’t mind stepping up in trip.

SIOUX NATION (Aidan O’Brien) Won the same race that Caravaggio won on his route to Royal Ascot and victory in the Commonwealth Cup and will try to complete the same double. Last year’s Norfolk Stakes winner has already tasted success at the Royal jamboree. One time there was a feeling that Coolmore weren’t that bothered with sprinting, but clearly there has been a policy change. This son of the deceased Scat Daddy would be a big attraction at their Kentucky stud should he continue to progress along expected lines.

NO WONDER THE BOOKIES RESTRICT HIS BETS… Declan on Thursday – Golden Jewel 10/1 (won 9/2); Madison To Monroe 9/1 (w 7/2); Masons Daughter 6/4 (w 9/10) and Calie Du Mesnil 11/8 (w 1/2)… BUT THEY CAN’T STOP HIM PASSING ON HIS TIPS EXCLUSIVELY TO US AT BETFAN!  

 

Get on board today for the IRISH GUINEAS WEEKEND, and get the Irish angle for the Derby and Oaks next weekend and of course Royal Ascot in a few weeks time.

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Track To Success! – By The Champagne Kid

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Do you use an online horse tracker? If not, then I would recommend that you consider doing so. There are many horse tracking systems available, and most of them are free to use, although most will require registration with the website operating it. Some examples are Timeform Tracker, Attheraces’ ATR Tracker, Sportinglife’s My Stable and Racing Post online’s Horse Tracker. Doubtless, there are many others. Have a look around and register for the one that you feel serves your purposes best.

The horses you put into your tracker don’t just need to be ones that you noted yourself in a race. Many of my own entries are the result of reading in-running notes or post-race comments by experienced race-readers or respected racing journalists.  No need to restrict your entries to what you observe with your own eyes; make use of other experts’ eyes and thinking too. Much of it is free if you look around.

Here below are some of the fairly recent entries into my own tracker, some of which are horses recently advised on The Champagne Kid Racing Service, and which I consider are worth keeping onside for future races.

Dommersen (T: John Gosden) – Ran in a class 2 handicap over 9f at Newmarket on the 5th May under Frankie Dettori. That race can be written off, as he was carried to the far side to race alone with the 100/1 front-running out-of-the-handicap outsider.  Dommersen had a long break before resuming at Kempton in a Listed race at the end of March. He was quite well fancied for that Newmarket class 2 handicap where he lost all chance due to his isolation from the rest of the field and is worth keeping in mind for summer handicaps between 8 and 10 furlongs.

Dee Ex Bee (T: Mark Johnston) – Tipped by The Champagne Kid service a couple of days ago at the Chester May meeting, this Derby entry finished well to come second to the impressive William Haggas charge Young Rascal. I don’t think Dee Ex Bee will be winning the Derby (if he takes up his entry), but he could well be interesting in The Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot over 1m 6f.  His finishing efforts in that recent Chester 12.3f race, and earlier in a 10f Listed Race at Epsom on 25th April suggest he may yet be better over an even greater distance. Mark Johnston has a good record in The Queen’s Vase having recorded seven wins overall and three wins in the last ten renewals. Watch out for a possible entry in The Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot this year for Dee Ex Bee.

Powerallied (T: Richard Fahey) – Another fast-finishing second at Chester tipped on The Champagne Kid service, Powerallied may never have looked like catching speedball A Momentofmadness over this 5.1f. However, had the race been over Chester’s 5.5f course, that extra 0.4f (88 yards) may have made all the difference.  Powerallied has already won twice at Chester over that 5.5f, so put him in whichever tracker you use, and watch for an entry at that slightly greater distance of 5.5f at Chester this summer or autumn.

Gilgamesh (T: George Scott) –  Finished 7th beaten by about 2 lengths to Rip Orff in the 7 furlong Victoria Cup Class 2 Handicap at Ascot on the 12th May.  He ran extremely well against a draw/pace bias on this occasion. Of the 27 runners, 19 went in a group on the far-side and Gilgamesh contested his own ‘race’ against 7 others on the near-side. He finished extremely strongly to win the ‘race’ on his side, in the process beating the majority of those who had run on the favoured far-side.  He is definitely one to watch out for in one of these big field straight course cavalry charges throughout the year, particularly at Ascot, and may well win one of them if he doesn’t land another disadvantageous draw.

Hopefully one (or more) of these four horses with potential will bring us some rewards later in the season. If circumstances and conditions are right, I am sure you will see some of them tipped on The Champagne Kid racing service at some time during the summer.

Keep on tracking!

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