Tag: Suegioo

Chester Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Chester May meeting will always be one of my favourite festivals of the flat racing season. The tight track always provides thrilling racing along with more than its fair share of hard luck stories. This was the venue for Shergar’s stunning victory which set him on course for the Epsom Derby and his place in history. We will be previewing each day’s racing in detail as the classic trials unfold but the feature race of the week is still the Chester Cup.

A maximum of seventeen runners will embark on the two and a quarter mile trip with the usual mixture of seasoned campaigners and up-and-coming stayers. Last year’s finish was dominated by Dr Marwan Koukash with his horse’s finishing first and second. Jamie Spencer was guilty of playing his hand too soon on Angel Gabrial and was cut down close home by Ryan Moore on Suegioo.

Consolation came in the Northumberland Plate for the runner-up and he has been tried in a higher grade since. He is not a particularly big horse and I can’t see him shouldering his big weight successfully this year. He is 15lbs higher in the handicap while Suegioo enjoys a 10lbs pull for three and half lengths from Newcastle. I certainly wouldn’t rule out Marco Botti’s charge after a gentle warm-up race at Ripon.

The one that catches the eye is Quick Jack, trained by Tony Martin in Ireland. He has been favourite for a string of big handicaps on the flat and over jumps over the past 18 months. His trainer has chosen very carefully and has been rewarded with a victory at Galway and two fine placed efforts at Newmarket and Cheltenham.

He was unlucky not to win the Cesarewitch when beaten only three-quarters of a length into third behind Big Easy. Richard Hughes was on board that day and hit the front with a furlong to run. Don’t expect to see him until very late on here and much will depend on whether Hughes can weave his way through the field. There is a lot of rain forecast over the next couple of days and connections will be hoping that some of it falls on the Roodeye.

Mubaraza was favourite last year but failed to quicken in the home straight and finished fourth. Ed Dunlop also runs Trip To Paris who is on a hat-trick under Graham Lee. He stepped up to two miles for the first time at Ripon and beat Gabrial’s King decisively. The runner-up did not get a clear run up the straight but would not have beaten Trip To Paris. If the going stays on the quick side, he could be worth a saver.

Quick Jack 3.10 Chester Wednesday @6-1 Stan James

Newmarket Saturday Preview

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The Cesarewitch day card at Newmarket looks like being a thorough test of stamina for punters as well as the horses! As well as the 32-runner marathon, the seven-race card also features a 24-runner mile and a half handicap.

We have previewed the Cesarewitch separately and are hoping for a run for our money from Suegioo and Rhombus. The preceding race is just as taxing to work out with all sorts of interwoven form lines. I am hoping that I have unearthed a well weighted horse in Andrew Balding’s Nabatean.

The son of Rock Of Gibraltar was having only his fourth start when staying on into fourth behind Battersea at Ascot in July. He had previously got off the mark in a Lingfield maiden and was given a lot to do by David Probert, moving up from last place approaching the home turn. He has a lengthy absence to overcome but is 16lbs better off with the winner for four and a half lengths. That ought to give him a decent chance and Hayley Turner has landed the ride with just 8st 1lb to carry.

I have plenty of respect for Luca Cumani’s Connecticut who looked set to complete a four-timer at York before finding the mile and three-quarters just beyond him. He is well worth an each-way bet in a wide open contest.

The same colours are carried by stable mate Bartholomew Fair on the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at 2.05. He beat an ordinary field at Yarmouth easily last time but I think this race could produce a shock with both Future Empire and Order Of St George looking suspect. Future Empire was just beaten at Sandown in the Solario Stakes but a good sized horse blanket would have covered the first four home.

Order Of St George looks a very edgy type, although he did win his maiden by a street. I think Hail Clodius could also be under-rated. He thrashed Fieldsman here last time out and that horse has won twice since.

Each-way betting could also be the order of the day in the Listed race at 2.40 with nineteen fillies and mares going to post. I am reluctant to pass over Blue Waltz after she bolted up at Doncaster last time but she still has to improve to win this and better value may be found with This Is The Day. She won only a modest Brighton handicap before defying a big hike in the weights at Haydock and she could surprise a few here. Albasharah is probably the form horse if she repeats her excellent run at Yarmouth when second to Hadaatha. The winner was only beaten half a length in a Group 1 at Longchamp last weekend.

Bartholomew Fair 2.05 (e/w) @9-1 Bet365

Hail Clodius (e/w) 2.05 @20-1 Paddy Power non-runner

Albasharah 2.40 @11-2 William Hill

This Is The Day (e/w) 2.40 @18-1 Bet Victor

Connecticut (e/w) 3.10  @10-1 Skybet

Nabatean (e/w) 3.10 @12-1 Paddy Power

Suegioo (e/w) 3.50 @18-1 Paddy Power

Rhombus (e/w) 3.50 @25-1 Coral

Cesarewitch 2014 Preview

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The Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket always used to be one of my favourite races of the season. Back in the 1980’s it was not too difficult to find the winner with the likes of Popsi’s Joy, Halsbury, Mountain Lodge, Kayudee, Nomadic Way and Double Dutch all well fancied.

The same cannot be said of the most recent winners. First we had jump trainers monopolising the race such as Messrs Pipe, Hobbs and Henderson. That last four winners needed Mystic Meg with Aaim To Prosper winning twice (16-1 and 66-1) along with Never Can Tell (25-1) and Scatter Dice (66-1). Could we be in for a third successive “double carpet” winner this year?

Not according to the bookmakers who are running scared from Irish raider Quick Jack. The high-class hurdler won at Galway in July when hooded for the first time. It was not exactly the kind of race where you can rely on the form too much but the third horse was only just beaten at Ascot recently. By my calculations the horse has been raised 9lbs but there seems to be plenty of confidence behind him. If you have managed to get on at a double-figure price you should be well pleased but he is less tempting at around 6-1.

Big Easy and Ray Ward are next in the betting. The former was a staying on second in the trial race here last month but finished only 21st a year ago and has not won since scoring over three miles at Cheltenham in April last year. Ray Ward was behind Big Easy last time and was beaten by Teak at Goodwood in July. You have to go back just as far for his last victory. Teak followed up by winning over an extended three miles at Plumpton!

Maid In Rio bolted up at Ascot in July off a mark of 93 but is now 10lbs higher and has looked laboured in her last three races. Earth Amber was quietly fancied here a year ago and only beat one horse home. Her form varies from second in a Group 3 on the flat to second in a maiden hurdle at Fakenham!

I’ve been very impressed with Cam Hardie this season and he teams up with the progressive Rhombus for Ismael Mohammed. He carries only a 4lb penalty for his win at Newbury, a race in which he gave his rivals a good six lengths start. Waterclock was second here last year and is lower in the weights, unfortunately so low that he may not even get into the final line-up.

Big weights are not necessarily a bar to success in this race so Suegioo should not be discarded with 9st 8lb. Marco Botti’s gelding stayed on well at Doncaster last month behind Stomachion and should give Martin Harley a good ride.

Rhombus @25-1 Coral

Suegioo @18-1 Paddy Power

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5 non-runner – no bet

Northumberland Plate Preview

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The Pitmen’s Derby is the highlight of Newcastle’s card on Saturday. This race is one of the top staying handicaps of the season and usually attracts runners from the Chester Cup and Royal Ascot. This year looks like being no exception with the early market leaders being Ascot winner Pique Sous and Chester Cup 1-2, Suegioo and Angel Gabrial.

Pique Sous landed a gamble on the Queen Alexandra Race, the closing event of Royal Ascot week. The grey gets a 5lbs penalty for his comfortable win there but this race comes only a fortnight after the two and three-quarter mile marathon.

Trainer Willie Mullins also has top weight Simenon entered but I think it may be a tall order for last year’s Gold Cup runner-up. Simenon has travelled the globe since that race but hinted at a return to form when fifth to Leading Light. I’d rather see him put away for another tilt at the Melbourne Cup in November.

The one that interests me is Angel Gabrial, trained by Richard Fahey. The five-year-old hit form at Ripon in April when beating the well-backed Mubaraza. He benefitted from a change of tactics that day, being held up at the rear of the field before rushing through in the closing stages. He displayed a tendency to hang when hitting the front which ought to have alerted connections ahead of the Chester Cup in May.

Jamie Spencer took over from David Nolan for the big race and he was well supported in to 7-1. After being held up at the rear, Spencer made a rapid move through the field and swept to the front well over a furlong from home. Whether or not the horse surprised him with his acceleration I am not sure, but was left as a sitting duck in the home straight.

It was Suegioo in the same colours of Dr Marwan Koukash that emerged as the late challenger and Angel Gabrial hung across to his rival, forfeiting further ground. He went under by just half a length and is 1lb better off with the winner. My feeling is that he would definitely have won had his run been delayed and I am expecting exaggerated waiting tactics on Saturday.

With sixty horses still entered, it is too early to study the rest of the field in depth but Angel Gabrial makes plenty of appeal at 10-1 each-way.

Angel Gabrial at 10-1 BetVictor, Ladbrokes