Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Friday, 11 September - Doncaster & Sandown
Charlie heads to Doncaster 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.
1:15pm Doncaster - Rock Montreal (Nap)
Circumstances dictate I am writing this Wednesday afternoon for Friday's racing.
William Buick was in the saddle for Godolphin when Avicenna won the listed opening 7f Flying Scotsman Stakes for Roger Varian twelve months ago, and it would be fascinating to know if Buick had the choice of Nabati – who he rides for Charlie Appleby - and ROCK MONTREAL (Nap), who was ridden by Ray Dawson on debut when winning a modest Yarmouth winner.
Nabati has the best form on offer, having finished second in a listed 6f race at Newbury in July, but the bar is not set too high, and the form of his head win in a Newmarket Novice last time has already taken a knock with the runner-up Tawakal beaten almost 5l in a Group 3 at Kempton last weekend.
Nabati has opened up 6/4 and, interestingly, he holds entries in the Mill Reef and Middle Park later in the year. Those two contests are over six furlongs – no Dewhurst entry – which suggests Appleby is not convinced today's seven furlongs will be his optimum distance.
Rock Montreal went to Yarmouth with a tall reputation and was as green as grass in the initial stages, but he was well on top in the end when the penny, seemingly, dropped.
The chief threat may come from Andrew Balding's filly, the once-raced Salisbury winner Forbidden Fire, who was visually impressive when scoring by 5l+ over 6f on debut. At this stage, she has no fancy entries going forward, however, and I will be surprised if she can beat the boys.
Recommendation: Rock Montreal (Nap) - 11/4 with bet365
3:00pm Doncaster - Beylerbeyi (Each-Way)
Winday did us a favour when scoring at Ffos Las on his British debut for Emmet Mullins, who announced earlier in the week that he would be concentrating more on the flat, having bought the famous yard of the great Jim Bolger. I was fortunate enough to go to the yard before New Approach was beaten in the 2008 2000 Guineas. It really is the most magnificent training establishment and surroundings.
I thought Cabello De Mar was a good thing at York in the Lonsdale Cup last time but was desperately disappointing, and he carries a 5lbs penalty today. If he is back to the form of his Gold Cup fourth – tried to keep tabs on Scandinavia and Trawlerman – he will win, but he folded ever so tamely last time and is blinkered for the first time.
He has the best form in the race, and Oisin Murphy keeps the ride, but at 13/8 you must excuse his no-show at York when he went off 7/4 but should have been Evens. The betting told us that connections were not convinced he was at his best, and that was just three weeks ago.
BEYLERBEYI (Each-Way) was ridden by Clifford Lee when fifth in the Ebor over 1m6f, and the step up in distance to 2m2f will suit the six-year-old who landed the Cesarewitch over that marathon trip last autumn. Note Billy Loughnane – who rode the selection at Newmarket on his penultimate start – is at Lingfield in his quest for his first jockeys' title.
I don't think this is a vintage Doncaster Cup – named in honour of the late great Racing Post journalist and top-class bloke Howard Wright, who loved this meeting – and the 14s for the selection at the time of writing looked a fair each-way price.
Recommendation: Beylerbeyi (Each-Way) - 14/1 with bet365 (3 places)
3:35pm Doncaster - Nochebuena
Silver Lake has been raised 17lbs for her hat-trick of recent wins which have all been over 10f, but she only got up in the dying strides at York last time from a 6lbs lower mark. That said, she would have been an unlucky loser, having met trouble in running, and she has hinted that a mile-and-a-half might see her in an even better light.
She is the one to beat but is a best price of 2/1, and her breeding does cast doubt on her ability to get the trip. NOCHBUENA has not seen the track for two months, having been just touched off by Hoseki at Ascot from a 4lbs lower mark back in July. The winner is now rated 8lbs higher having scored at Haydock last weekend, and Ralph Beckett's filly is open to more improvement having had just the four career starts.
A winner over course and distance on her penultimate start, she will be ridden by Jason Hart for the first time, with the stable's regular jockeys Hector Crouch and Rossa Ryan both at Salisbury, with the latter riding Amiloc after his own poor effort in the Lonsdale at York last time.
Recommendation: Nochebuena - 5/1 with Paddy Power
4:57pm Sandown - Dream Vega
The 7f 0-80 fillies handicap for three-year-olds is a belter with several of the top yards represented.
Allegrino landed a gamble at Newmarket last time for Andrew Balding and a 6lbs rise is fair given she was well on top at the line, and this stiff finish will suit. She has won three of her last six starts – all over the trip – and represents a top yard open to further improvement.
The same sentiment applies to the William Haggas-trained Vanilla Skies, who is fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time on handicap debut. She just lost out in a Redcar Novice last time under a penalty – had beaten the winner on her penultimate start – and she is in good hands to leave an opening mark of seventy-seven well behind.
The vote, however, goes to DREAM VEGA, who has been off the track since landing a Chester maiden back in July for Ed Walker. Ashley Lewis was in the plate on the Roodeye, and he keeps the ride taking off a valuable 3lbs. She is bred to appreciate any cut in the ground, and conditions were described as soft on Wednesday, although this is Sandown and they have their own opinions regarding underfoot conditions.
Recommendation: Dream Vega - 11/4 with bet365
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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