Tag: Mount Athos

Newbury Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Lockinge Stakes is the highlight of Saturday’s Newbury card. For a race that has thrown up some top class winners, this looks a modest renewal.

The short-priced favourite is Olympic Glory, a position he owes to his Ascot victory last autumn. He had too much class for the upgraded handicapper Top Notch Tonto on that occasion, although his fitness has to be taken on trust here.

More importantly, the going is not soft and we are unlikely to see the best of “Tonto”. Tullius also stepped out of handicaps to slam Montiridge by four lengths at Sandown. That was either a fine victory or a very disappointing effort from the runner-up, but it was on soft ground.

Chopin was seventh in the Derby last year but is back to his right trip here while Aidan O’Brien saddles American import Verrazano. The colt is a Grade 1 winner in the States and finished in front of Breeders’ Cup winner Groupie Doll when fourth in the Cigar Mile. With the favourite so short, he looks the most logical alternative.

Sir Michael Stoute supplied a double for us at York on Friday and was a shade unlucky not to make it a treble with Radiator. I was slightly concerned about her having her first outing of the season but she ran a good race. The fact that Cannock Chase was able to win easily on his first run suggests that there is plenty of improvement to come, as with most of the Stoute horses. He looks the one to beat in the London Gold Cup.

Battalion takes a rise in class in the Aston Park Stakes but I’m a little worried about the drying ground for him. He won by four lengths on his first run on good ground but he did seem to be “climbing” a little and his best form is on soft and heavy. I had selected Mount Athos for Chester last week but he was pulled out owing to the soft going and this looks likely to suit him much better.

The early money has been for Hayley Turner and Bronze Angel in the seven furlong handicap at 2.40. He did show promise in the Spring Cup but I won’t be backing him at a single figure price and prefer the claims of Modern Tutor. He has joined Andrew Balding from Stoute’s yard and looked unlucky not to add to his Windsor victory last season. Balding had a great Chester with his handicappers and Oisin Murphy still claims a useful 3lbs.

Mount Athos 2.05 Newbury at 100-30 William Hill

Modern Tutor 2.40 Newbury at 17-2 BetVictor

Cannock Chase 3.15 Newbury at 4-1 William Hill

Verrazano 3.50 Newbury at 11-2 William Hill

Chester Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Having secured a profit on each of the first two days at Chester, the pressure is on for the final day of the meeting. Friday’s card looks the weakest of the week and there are only a couple of horses that stand out for me.

At the start of the week I was saying just how vital a low draw is at the Roodeye. Typically, the two widest drawn horses in the opening two-year-old race finished 1-2! Normal service has been resumed for the rest of the week but the opener tomorrow throws up another conundrum.

Sir Michael Stoute does not keep a lot of older horses in training, especially unraced maidens. Abseil is very much an exception to the rule and he won his maiden in fine style at Yarmouth last month. He raced quite keenly early on but settled well enough for James Doyle before stretching clear over a mile. Only one of the beaten horses has run since and finished second so it is too early to say whether it was a decent maiden.

The handicapper has taken a chance by rating him at just 91. I think he is expected to go a lot higher than that but enter the dreaded Chester draw. He has drawn 13 of 14 which virtually puts him in the River Dee. The trouble is that I cannot find what is likely to beat him, apart from the draw. Capo Rosso won well on the all-weather but is in stall 11 while Here Comes When (1) and Big Johnny D (2) are likely to blaze the trail. The softer ground may help as it will slow the leaders down a little.

My second bet is for Mount Athos in the Ormonde Stakes. He hacked up in this race last year but it was a poor field, underlined by the runner-up Mad Moose! Even so, it showed that he handles it round here and his form in Australia was top notch. Stoute is again to the fore with Hillstar but almost all of his runners need their first run.

I am not a great fan of Jamie Spencer and I was amazed by his ride on Angel Gabrial in the Chester Cup. I had ready Richard Fahey’s column explaining that they had finally found out that the key to the horse was to hold him up as late as possible. Spencer held him up in rear but then unleashed him into the lead on the home turn. He was a sitting duck from that point and it was no surprise to see Ryan Moore steal the glory. Spencer should have no such problems on Mount Athos.

Abseil at 9-2 Paddy Power

Mount Athos at 9-4 Coral