Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Saturday, 22 August - York & Newton Abbot
Charlie heads to Newton Abbot 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.
2:25pm York - Into The Light & Galilean Quality
The Melrose looks a near impossible puzzle to solve but I must throw a couple of darts at the board and, from a long shortlist that included Vantage Code and Glory Road, I have whittled it down to INTO THE LIGHT and GALILEAN QUALITY.
Vantage Code impressed stepping up to this 1m6f trip at Galway last month – having been second earlier in the week over twelve furlongs – but has been raised by more than a stone for that fluent 12l success. Glory Road gives the impression he will relish the step up to today's distance for the first time, but he, too, steps up in grade for Ralph Beckett.'
Into The Light did us – and Charlie Appleby – a big favour when scoring at the Glorious Goodwood meeting (12f) from an 8lbs lower mark. He is bred to appreciate the additional quarter of a mile, and the hope is that the ground dries out given he is unproven on anything worse than good ground.
Galilean Quality was last seen scoring over today's trip at Ascot from a 4lbs lower mark, although the form has not worked out particularly well. I thought he ran a terrific race at Royal Ascot on his penultimate start given his wide trip and he is proven on all ground.
Recommendations: Into The Light - 8/1 with bet365 & Galilean Quality - 14/1 with William Hill
3:00pm York - Ten Bob Tony & Zavateri
The market for the Group 1 Sky Bet sponsored 7f City Of York stakes is headed by Notable Speech and on fast ground he would have been a confident selection. A fast run seven furlongs really ought to be ideal but the ease in the ground could blunt his finishing kick and my two against the field are TEN BOB TONY and ZAVATERI last seen finishing fourth and fifth in the Sussex Stakes.
By definition the suggestion is that this heat – as competitive as it is – is not as strong as the Goodwood showpiece and I thought both selections finished well having been held up out of their ground in the opening salvos.
Ten Bob Tony landed the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile on his penultimate start, but four of his five career wins have come over this specialist seven-furlong trip. The ease in the ground is ideal, and he looks sure to run a big race although it is, surprisingly, his first start on the Knavesmire.
Zavateri beat Gstaad in the National Stakes at the Curragh as a juvenile and has had a light campaign having finished runner up in the Greenham on his reappearance. His Curragh success came on yielding ground so conditions should be ideal, and I liked the way he travelled at Goodwood. The hope is that Charlie Bishop can get the three-year-old galvanised from the stalls and into a decent position at the top of the home straight.
Recommendations: Ten Bob Tony - 7/1 with bet365 & Zavateri 6/1 with Coral
3:35pm York - Klassleader (Each-Way)
This looks a vintage Ebor with Emit, Beylerbei and Stressfree on a long shortlist but preference is for KLASSLEADER (Each-Way) who looked one to follow when scoring here over 12f back at the Dante meeting from an 8lbs lower mark.
The four-year-old has only had the one start in the interim period when backed off the boards but bombing out on the July course last month. The rain earlier in the week will suit, he has a middle draw in stall thirteen and can give his proud Yorkshire born trainer a first win in this most famous handicap.
Emit looked ready for a step back to 1m6f when staying on over 12f last time and Ryan Moore is an eye-catching booking for Joseph O'Brien. Beylerbei was all dressed up but had nowhere to go at Newmarket last time in the race that Klassleader disappointed, but stall twenty-one is a concern and he will have to do plenty of running in the home straight.
Stressfree finished fourth in the corresponding race twelve months ago and is 2lbs lower this time around. The ease in the ground is a plus, but he would be running from a 2lbs lower mark if this were not an early closing race.
Recommendation: Klassleader (Each-Way) - 15/2 with BoyleSports (6 places)
3:05pm Newton Abbot - Ice Jet (Nap)
Gore Point has won his last three including twice over course and distance, but he has been raised 21lbs for the hat-trick and I hope to see the four-year-old ICE JET (Nap) take advantage of the 11lbs weight-for-age he gets from his elders for Dan and Harry Skelton.
The grey landed a hat-trick of hurdle wins himself earlier in the summer and ran an excellent race on chase debut when second over an additional half mile. I thought the selection was going best when the race was voided with four fences to jump at Uttoxeter last time and I will be disappointed if he doesn't run a very big race.
Recommendation: Ice Jet (Nap) - 10/11 with bet365
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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