Tag: Belardo

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Newbury stages a terrific card on Saturday with trials for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas. The Greenham looks every bit as good as in recent years in which it has been won by the likes of Frankel and Kingman. We have previewed the race separately and sided with Belardo as the value bet against Ivawood.

Richard Hannon could end the day with four classic trials winners in a week following the victories of Kool Kompany and Osaila. He saddles Tiggy Wiggy in the seven-furlong Fred Darling Stakes. She was so good over six furlongs as a two-year-old that there is a feeling that she will ultimately prove to be a sprinter. Many Lowther and Cheveley Park Stakes winners in the past have gone down that route and we will know a lot more after Saturday’s race.

Strictly on the form, she cannot really get beaten. She has over a stone in hand on her rivals and she should get seven furlongs, if not the mile.

The opening race on the card is a fascinating mile and a quarter handicap with a huge field including three unexposed horses. The pick of them could be John Gosden’s Mahsoob who won nicely at Kempton on the all-weather on his only start as a three-year-old. He has a very wide draw in nineteen so he will have to go around his field under Paul Hanagan. Others to note are Luca Cumani’s Lunasea and Andrew Balding’s Field Of Fame.

Romsdal should take another step towards the top middle-distance prizes in the John Porter Stakes at 1.45. He was placed in both the Derby and the St Leger last season and looked good on his comeback at Kempton. Windshear was less impressive on his seasonal debut while Arab Spring may just need the run to put him straight.

By far the most competitive race on the card is the Spring Cup at 3.25 but I am keen on the chances of Buckstay for Peter Chapple-Hyam. I fancied him each-way for the Lincoln but he missed the cut and ran in the Spring Mile instead. He nearly gained handsome consolation but was run down by the impressive Chatez in the closing stages.

That looked like an exceptional performance by the winner and Buckstay should go close here. He is up against Lincoln winner Gabrial who is up 6lbs and is drawn close by.

Mahsoob 1.15 @4-1 Bet365

Romsdal 1.45 @15-8 Bet365

Tiggy Wiggy 2.15 @Evens Totesport

Belardo 2.50 @6-1 Bet365

Buckstay 3.25 @8-1 Bet365

Greenham Stakes Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Saturday’s Group 3 Greenham Stakes looks a very high quality renewal and looks certain to have an impact on the ante-post market for the 2000 Guineas.

Richard Hannon’s Ivawood is a surprisingly short-priced favourite, although the yard have already won two Guineas trials this week. Ivawood suffered his first defeat when surprisingly beaten by Charming Thought at Newmarket in soft ground in October. He had looked a real Guineas prospect when winning impressively in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. If the defeat was purely down to the ground, he will be the one to beat but he is tackling seven furlongs for the first time.

Ivawood is not the highest rated in this field with that honour going to Dewhurst Stakes winner Belardo. Roger Varian’s colt produced a shock when beating Kodi Bear by two lengths at Newmarket in a first-time hood. Interestingly, there is no sign of the headgear on Saturday as he makes his first start in the blue of Godolphin.

He had been disappointing in the July Stakes when drawn poorly and again at Doncaster in September in the Champagne Stakes. Clearly connections felt that he was capable of better and the hood seemed to work the oracle. He reversed Champagne form with Estidhkaar at Newmarket and it remains to be seen whether the softer ground was key to his improvement.

Aidan O’Brien sends over Dick Whittington and a victory for the son of Rip Van Winkle would boost the case of Gleneagles in the Guineas. His case has been strengthened by the Craven Stakes winner Kool Kompany. Dick Whittington beat the Hannon colt by half a length at the Curragh in August. He was a beaten favourite at Royal Ascot in June on his only previous start at seven furlongs.

Toocoolforschool turned the Mill Reef Stakes into a procession when beating Growl by seven lengths. He had previously been beaten half a length by Nafaqa at Doncaster in a Listed race over seven furlongs. Karl Burke’s gelding made all when winning the Mill Reef and it would be no surprise to see him bowling along in front again here.

Flaming Spear was backed as if defeat was out of the question on his debut for Kevin Ryan and duly obliged at York. This is a huge step up in class for the son of Lope De Vega while Fannaan is unbeaten in two races for John Gosden. He beat the reluctant Hawkesbury at Newmarket in October and could yet represent Gosden in the Guineas following the defeat of Faydhan in midweek.

Belardo @6-1 Paddy Power