Tag: Tiggy Wiggy

Newbury Saturday Preview

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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

Newmarket Saturday Preview

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It’s Cambridgeshire day at Newmarket and the result of the consolation race on Friday indicated that there is no clear draw bias. That does not really help us with 35 runners to sort through but I’ve picked out a couple for each-way interest.

Niceofyoutotellme won at Newmarket in the spring for Ralph Beckett, his first start since running a dismal race in the consolation race at the corresponding meeting. That was his first run in a hood and the headgear was left on at Ascot in June when he ran a fair race to finish ninth in the Royal Hunt Cup. He was held up towards the rear at Goodwood last time and was never likely to get involved but a couple of months off should have freshened him up for this race.

My second selection is Buckstay who is well weighted with Extremity on Goodwood form. He was beaten a short-head by that horse over a mile trying to concede 10lbs in July and is now weighted to receive 1lb from the Hugo Palmer runner. There is a huge disparity in the odds for the duo, probably because of Buckstay’s modest third last time at Kempton. Maxime Guyon is an interesting booking for Peter Chapple-Hyam’s runner.

There appears to be plenty of confidence behind Sir Michael Stoute’s Sandy Cay in the opening nursery but I am sticking with Rosalie Bonheur after her game win at Salisbury. She was never travelling better than at the finish of that seven-furlong contest and she can complete a hat-trick for Clive Cox.

It has been a sad week for the Balding family with the passing of legendary National Hunt trainer Toby. He was no mean trainer on the flat either and was equally adept at educating jockeys, as Tony McCoy will testify. I am hoping that the family will have cause for minor celebration with the promising Elm Park in the Royal Lodge, although Nafaqa is the obvious threat. His Doncaster form looks smart after Toocoolforschool won the Mill Reef so easily last week.

Tiggy Wiggy should win the Cheveley Park but is not great value after a long season. Windshear ran a lifeless race at Newmarket today for the Hannon team after a similarly exhausting campaign.

There is a typically competitive card over at Haydock and I must give Chilworth Icon a mention in the big sprint. I tipped him for the Portland Handicap recently and he was a fast-finishing fifth. I am a bit worried that this five furlongs will be on the sharp side but he’s in great form and should go well at a good price.

Rosalie Bonheur 2.0 Newmarket @5-1 Paddy Power

Elm Park 2.35 Newmarket @3-1 BetVictor

Tiggy Wiggy 3.10 Newmarket @11-10 Bet365

Niceofyoutotellme 3.50 Newmarket @16-1 William Hill (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5)

Buckstay 3.50 Newmarket @33-1 Ladbrokes (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4,5)

Chilworth Icon 4.10 Haydock @14-1 Bet365 (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4)

York Thursday Preview

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16-1 winner Dutch Connection gave Betcirca followers a great start to the Ebor meeting and Australia enhanced his reputation with a smooth win in the International Stakes.

The star of the show at York on Thursday is the unbeaten filly Taghrooda. Although I backed her at Epsom, I neglected her at Ascot last time in favour of an each-way bet on Mukhadram. She was very impressive in seeing off both he and Telescope and looks impossible to oppose in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Volume ran well in the Irish Oaks but a bigger threat may come from Aidan O’Brien’s Tapestry who was an unlucky second with a slipping saddle. Ryan Moore is aboard her and she could be the each-way bet but it will be a major surprise if Taghrooda is beaten.

When a horse wins for you at 25-1 it is very difficult not to invest in them next time. Sentimentality comes into it and I cannot ignore Red Avenger after his win at Glorious Goodwood. I backed him on a line through Abseil and their previous meeting at Epsom’s Derby meeting. Early on, things looked bleak for Red Avenger as he was shuffled back and it was a brilliant ride from Fortune to get him up to win.

He is only 3lbs higher at York but James Doyle has the ride. Another problem is that he is drawn 1 and does not possess a lot of early speed. Hopefully Doyle can keep him in touch just off the rail and deliver a challenge in the closing stages.

The early races look booked for the Richard Hannon stable with Kool Kompany and Tiggy Wiggy. Both have been on the go all season and don’t owe anyone a thing. Tiggy Wiggy was quite brilliant in the Newbury Super Sprint and I cannot oppose her, even against two Royal Ascot winners. There isn’t much value to be had with Kool Kompany on these weight terms and I’m going to have an each-way on Valley Of Fire.

William Haggas would not waste an entry unless he thought the colt was up to this class and he can improve on his course and distance win. The Galtres Stakes looks worth avoiding, although Haggas can go close again there with Arabian Comet. John Gosden could complete a memorable day by taking the closing handicap with Enraptured. She ran a lot better than her finishing position suggests behind Kosika last time and could be better value than Stoute’s Bragging.

1.55 Kool Kompany at 11-4 BetVictor

1.55 Valley Of Fire (each-way) at 8-1 Bet365

2.30 Tiggy Wiggy at 15-8 Paddy Power

3.05 Red Avenger (each-way) at 11-1 Coral

3.40 Tapestry (each-way) at 12-1 Coral

4.55 Enraptured (each way) at 16-1 Betfair

Royal Ascot Wednesday Preview

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We had a couple of short-priced winners on the opening day but it should have been better. I was kicking myself for not including Sole Power with the sun beating down to give him his favoured fast ground. The second day is probably the best betting day of the week with plenty of runners and a fine mix of handicaps and group races.

I usually fancy something strongly in the Jersey Stakes as the seven-furlong trip is ideal for horses that don’t quite get home in the Guineas. Unusually, there is no 2000 Guineas “flop” in the field although there are horses from the French and Irish races. Richard Fahey’s Parbold has become expensive to follow and even his trainer admits to being puzzled by the colt. He did little wrong at Epsom last time when getting within a whisker of ending That Is The Spirit’s winning run. They are both set to go off at huge prices here so can carry each-way support.

I had convinced myself that Tiggy Wiggy would win the Queen Mary after she flew home in the National Stakes. That was until witnessing the American horse bolt up in the two-year-old event yesterday. I am now going to have to include Spanish Pipedream but at least Tiggy Wiggy will be an each-way price.

Treve should win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes but there must be slight concerns over the shorter trip and quicker ground. I cannot support her at odds-on with the likes of Magician, Dank and The Fugue in opposition but I expect her to come through the test.

There does not seem to be the same stable confidence behind Sky Lantern as there was behind Toronado in the Queen Anne. The popular grey has the form to win on Wednesday having beaten Integral last season at Newmarket but it should be close between the pair.

The cavalry charge for the Royal Hunt Cup sees Abseil bidding to justify heavy ante-post support. Having collected on him at Yarmouth and Epsom, I feel obliged to follow him here but will also take some each-way about Stirring Ballad. Richard Hughes suffered a nightmare ride on her 12 months ago and David Probert now does the steering. She has not been on the racecourse since but stranger things have happened!

That Is The Spirit 2.30 Royal Ascot 14-1 Paddy Power

Parbold 2.30 Royal Ascot 18-1 Bet Victor

Spanish Pipedream 3.05 Royal Ascot 5-2 Bet365

Tiggy Wiggy 3.05 Royal Ascot 6-1 Paddy Power

Integral 3.45 Royal Ascot 3-1 Ladbrokes

Sky Lantern 3.45 Royal Ascot 4-1 Ladbrokes

Abseil 5.00 Royal Ascot 11-2 Coral

Stirring Ballad 5.00 Royal Ascot 23-1 Betfair