Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips Friday, 10 July - Newmarket, York, Ascot & Worcester
Charlie heads to Ascot on Friday for his best bet
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.
1:50pm Newmarket - Princling & Heraldry (w/o Princling)
A poor turnout for the £100,000 three-year-old 10f handicap with only six to post, but a fascinating race, nonetheless.
Evanesco is likely to get his own way on the lead for Charlie Johnston, but my two against the field are PRINCLING and HERALDRY, and I will support Princling to win (9/4) and Heraldry in the market without the favourite also at 9/4.
Princling can race from the same mark as when fifth in the Golden Gates handicap at Ascot last time, when he was posted five wide throughout. He ran a tremendous race in the circumstances to be beaten just two-and-a-half lengths behind Lost Boys, and I have rated him as the second-best horse in the race behind the winner, who is a Group winner in-waiting.
Princling had previously looked to be crying out for 10f when a staying on fourth in the re-routed Silver Bowl Handicap at Carlisle. He had a hard race at the Royal meeting, but he must have covered more additional ground than he was beaten, although the winner also had a poor trip, and he was no match for the Wathnan-owned scorer.
Heraldry has not seen the track since finishing second behind Decade Of Time – beaten a length-and-a-quarter – in a 1m Windsor Novice at the beginning of May, but is 10lbs better off with the latter, who has since landed the odds at Nottingham.
The step up to 10f for the first time looks sure to bring about significant improvement in The Gosdens' Kingman colt, who is out of a listed turf winner over almost twelve furlongs. The selection won a Kempton Novice over a mile on his penultimate start when he again gave every impression he would appreciate a stiffer test. I will be disappointed if he cannot reverse Windsor form with the Channon-trained Decade Of Time, who is not guaranteed on breeding to appreciate the extra distance.
Recommendations: Princling - 9/4 with bet365 & Heraldry (w/o Princling) - 9/4 with bet365
3:00pm Newmarket - Valedictory & Beylerbei
If the handicapper is correct, Wine Dark Sea has to go down to the start and be pointed in the right direction given, given that he carries just a 6lbs penalty for his 13l Carlisle Plate romp – over 13f – in course record time, whereas the handicapper has seen fit to raise him 17lbs. He is thus 11lbs well-in, but the handicapper has forced the hand of connections to run off his old mark, and he is too short in the betting for one with stamina to prove stepping up to 1m6f for the first time.
His draw in stall one should be a plus, although he may need luck in running, and he could turn this into a procession, but I couldn't have him on my mind at a best price of Evens at the time of writing.
Oneforthegutter won the corresponding race 12 months ago – second in 2024 – and is 4lbs lower today, but my two against the field are VALEDICTORY and BEYLERBEI and will back them both.
Valedictory has plenty to find with the market leader on Ascot running over 12f back in May but improved for the step up in distance – and application of cheekpieces – when scoring over this 1m6f trip at Goodwood last time. The second, third and fourth have done zero for the form, but the fifth and sixth are both subsequent winners, and I will be disappointed if Valedictory does not get much closer to Wine Dark Sea – beaten over 5l – on 6lbs better terms over this additional quarter mile.
Beylerbei is a stablemate of last year's winner, but I thought he ran a much better race than his finishing position suggests in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes, where, surprisingly for a Cesarewitch winner, he looked a non-stayer. Yes, he looks high enough in the handicap – still rated a hundred – but I thought 20/1 was too big on Thursday morning.
Recommendations: Valedictory - 10/3 with Coral & Beylerbei - 20/1 with bet365
Precise has been kept busy, but she is a class apart from her field in the Falmouth Stakes, although the market agrees.
4:30pm York - Kahin
No three-year-old has won the 10f handicap since its inception four years ago, but I think this rests between Ciao Capo and KAHIN, with preference for the latter.
Ciao Capo is chasing a hat-trick for the Faheys' having won at Beverley and Wetherby in recent months, and he has only been raised 10lbs for those comprehensive successes. Well drawn in stall four, he will be ridden by Cam Hardie today with regular pilot Oisin Orr unable to do 8st 5lbs.
Marginal preference is for the Newmarket-trained Kahin, who got off the mark at Hamilton over 1m1f last time, when he gave the impression – despite being by Kingman - he would appreciate going up in distance. There is plenty of stamina on the distaff side, and Cieren Fallon takes over for the first time in the Shadwell colours.
Haggas loves having winners on the Knavesmire, and he can give 12lbs to Ciao Capo, although the latter remains one to keep onside going forward.
Recommendation: Kahin - 11/4 with bet365
4:23pm Ascot - Hoseki (Nap)
I hope it's a good day for the Haggas yard as there is a fabulous 12f fillies with three progressive three-year-olds near the foot of the weights.
I loved the attitude of Nochebuena, who looked sure to be swallowed up by Kenneth at Doncaster in a 12f Novice last time, but turned the older horse away and was going away at the end. She looks sure to say good night to her current mark of eighty-two in time, and the excellent Harry Vigors takes off a further 5lbs. She actually runs off eighty-three today as she is 1lb wrong in the weights, but you get my gist!
The vote, however, goes to HOSEKI (Nap), who has won her last couple and looked one to follow when scoring at Chester over their extended 10f last time. She promises to be well suited by the additional quarter of a mile, Luke Morris is a positive booking under 8st 2lbs, and a 5lbs rise is fair for her Chester success.
I backed the third City Queen at Chester, and she didn't get the best of runs, but she would never have beaten Hoseki, and I vowed to back her until she met with defeat.
Recommendation: Hoseki (Nap) - 7/4 with bet365
7:16pm Worcester - Estacas (Each-Way)
They only jumped six hurdles at Market Rasen in a race run over nearly 2m6f with rail movements when ESTACAS (Each-Way) finished third last time, and she will appreciate the drop back in distance to the advertised distance of 2m4f this evening.
The nine-year-old was a shade keen and tried to make all last time, but the hope is that he is ridden with more patience this evening by Luke Scott. He ran a terrific race when second over course and distance on his penultimate start behind the progressive four-year-old Ice Jet, and a repeat will make him hard to beat.
Recommendation: Estacas (Each-Way) - 7/1 with bet365 (3 places)
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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