Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Saturday, 18 July - Market Rasen, Newmarket, Ripon & Doncaster
Charlie heads to Newmarket on Saturday 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.
2:45pm Market Rasen - Queensbury Boy (Each-Way)
Market Rasen's day in the sun with the Summer Plate and Hurdle two of the highlights of the summer jumps programme. The ground is described as good, but then again, so was Worcester's on Thursday evening, when the average winning time was almost twenty-seven seconds above standard. That is good to soft bordering on soft ground.
The Summer Plate is the feature. If anyone can tell me why a race which is advertised to be run over 2m5f89y will be run over more than an additional furlong (+264 yards) because of rail movements, please do. They could move the start line a furlong nearer to the opening fence on the back straight or prioritise this meeting for rail movements.
It is a bee in my bonnet as my selection for the race, QUEENSBURY BOY, is a doubtful stayer beyond 2m6f, and this has likely been the target for connections for some time, given he is better going right-handed and palpably failed to stay three miles in the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter.
The Bowens saddle three, and the family have a rich history in the race with father Peter having saddled the winner eight times since its inception in 1995. Son Mickey fits cheekpieces for the first time on the seven-year-old, who was owned by David Maxwell previously and cost his current connections £75,000 at the owner's dispersal sale last autumn.
He has never fulfilled his initial promise and was a big disappointment for Harry Derham in the Persian War – sent off 5/4 favourite – at Chepstow in October. I thought it was significant that Derham, who talked up the horses' chance prior to Chepstow, didn't buy or get one of his owners to acquire the horse at the sale. That said, I thought 2m5f+ on decent ground on a right-hand track was ideal, until I saw the rail movements!
Harry Cobden has ridden the winner of the corresponding race for the last three years, and Soul Icon and another Bowen contender, King Roly, are considered the chief threats.
Recommendation: Queensbury Boy (Each-Way) - 6/1 with bet365 (4 places)
4:05pm Market Rasen - Mr McWhinny
MR McWHINNY showed little under rules in Ireland but won a point-to-point by 38l prior to joining the yard of Tom Ellis, for whom he was backed into 6/4 favouritism ahead of his debut for the yard at Uttoxeter over 3m last month.
He ran with the choke out for the first half of the race and gave himself little chance of getting home. He drops back to 2m 1f (+ another 192y of course) this afternoon, and it will be interesting to see if the money arrives again for the eight-year-old over, what appears on limited evidence, a more suitable trip.
Do note he did edge left at his fences at the Staffordshire track, and going righthanded is a possible concern, but he has been given more time to acclimatise to his new surroundings and new training regime. He led at Uttoxeter but is unlikely to get to the front early with Catchim in the field, although the latter's presence should allow the selection to settle better.
Irish challenger Sledgehammer ran on past beaten horses in a race at Wexford over 2m3f+ last time in a race where they only jumped nine fences. He must race from an 8lbs higher mark in Britain, which seems excessive, but Oakley Brown takes off 5lbs. A market move would be worth noting.
Recommendation: Mr McWhinny - 2/1 with bet365
3:05pm Newmarket - Revoir (Nap)
I am disappointed to see Rossa Ryan go to Newbury today as I was hoping he would keep the mount on REVOIR (Nap) despite the fact that he has been beaten by half a length and a neck on the filly in her two starts so far this term.
I thought Ralph Beckett's filly was a shade unlucky last time when Ryan got shuffled back on the four-year-old before finishing best of all. She was still a neck down at the line in that 12f listed contest at Pontefract, and this looks a good opportunity in a similar contest.
Hector Crouch's last four rides for the Beckett stable have produced three winners with the other beaten three-quarters of a length, so both jockey and trainer are in good form, although I make no apology for wanting Ryan (Rossa rather than Moore) on my side.
I was considering backing both Beckett representatives, as K Sarra will appreciate the return to a sound surface, having been bogged down in the Epsom mud last time. This represents a drop in grade, having finished third in the Group 3 Musidora on her penultimate start on fast ground at York.
That form is not working out particularly well, but she is a full sister to dual Group 2 winner Pride Of Arras and will relish the return to a sound surface.
Recommendation: Revoir (Nap) - 3/1 with bet365
3:15pm Ripon - Yafreh & Prince Of The Seas
I liked the way the lightly raced three-year-old YAFREH battled back when headed at Thirsk – winner has since followed up – last time, and he is taken to land the valuable Bell-Ringer Handicap for Richard & Peter Fahey.
No three-year-old has won the race since 2018, but after just four starts, this son of Frankel is the fifth foal and brother/half-brother to four winners. He led at Thirsk last time, and I wonder if Cam Hardie will want to get to the lead and dictate his own fractions at a course which often suits frontrunners on the round course.
I am also going to back PRINCE OF THE SEAS, who is well handicapped at present and hinted at a return to form when second at Hamilton on Sunday. His best form has come on a right-hand track on good or faster ground, and the hope is that he has the race run to suit.
He hasn't run particularly well on his two previous visits to the track, but they were off much higher marks, and he hinted that he was coming to his peak at Hamilton.
Recommendations: Yafreh - 5/1 with Skybet & Prince Of The Seas - 9/2 with William Hill
7:50pm Doncaster - Willow Wood
Boilermaker is fitted with cheekpieces for the first time and didn't get the best of runs when third at Goodwood when a well-backed favourite last time. He strikes me as the type to improve again over 1m6f and is one to keep onside going forward.
Indeed, I may save on him or back him in the market without WILLOW WOOD – if the latter is market leader - who I was most impressed with when she scored at Ffos Las from a 6lbs lower mark last month. She is bred to be better than a 71-rated filly, and her recent success was her first start at a mile-and-a-half.
With Kieran Shoemark at Newbury, George Wood takes over in the plate on Ed Walker's daughter of Wotton Bassett. He has ridden the selection twice previously, both over inadequate trips.
Recommendation: Willow Wood - 7/4 with bet365
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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