Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips For Thursday, 11 June - Newbury & Yarmouth
Charlie heads to Newbury on Thursday 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.com.
The weather becomes more settled from the weekend, but there is plenty of rain forecast at both Newbury and Yarmouth on Wednesday and Thursday before and during today's cards.
The forecast for Royal Ascot next week is for warm sunshine, but we are likely to see a mix of soft and good to soft this afternoon.
3:30pm Newbury - Forty Years On & I Still Have Faith
The mile three-year-old handicap is a competitive heat with many of the top yards represented. If forced to make a selection, it would be Box Clever, and it would not be a surprise if there are a couple of non-runners with conditions unknown for many of the principles.
I had to double check that Consecrated was running over seven furlongs this afternoon, given her last three runs have come over 10, 14 and 10f for William Haggas, but she returns to the scene of her course and distance win on debut last April.
She is by Frankel but a half-sister to Sacred, who was taken out of a number of races on soft ground and her ability to handle today's underfoot conditions must be taken on trust, although Frankel's progeny generally appreciate a bit of cut.
Consecrated made all when scoring on debut here last year, and Ciren Fallon had trouble pulling her up. I expect Tom Marquand to adopt similar tactics, dropping back down in distance. It will be fascinating to see what the market makes of the four-year-old's chances, but connections obviously feel she is worth a try at the trip.
I am looking to back two, however, against the field.
FORTY YEARS ON is by soft ground influence Mayson and won at Ascot from a 6lbs lower mark on soft ground back in September. She has not seen the track since the end of September, but has been ready to race for some time, having been taken out of a race at Newmarket on account of the ground (good), which was deemed too quick.
The lightly raced four-year-old gets a mile and would not want a crawl, but connections have their ground, and George Scott has his string in excellent shape. Her draw in stall thirteen is a concern, especially as I STILL HAVE FAITH is also drawn high (14 of 16), and I'm not convinced that is where you want to race down the stands' rail on soft ground.
Stuart Williams ' six-year-old gets further than seven furlongs but was all dressed up and nowhere to go at Newmarket last time when a never-nearer fourth, having been constantly denied a run from halfway.
The selection has never won on soft ground but has run well in defeat under such conditions, and, looking at the field, there are few who are guaranteed to appreciate conditions if they were to turn soft.
Recommendations: Forty Years On - 4/1 with bet365 & I Still Have Faith - 13/2 with bet365
5:15pm Newbury - Kindly Queen (Each-Way) (Nap)
Hector Crouch has become owner Valmont's number one jockey, and I am not convinced Oisin Murphy would have had the pick of the two Andrew Balding three-year-olds who contest the concluding mile-and-a-half handicap.
Murphy rides top-weight Mythical Bay, who was beaten a length, when market leader, at Chester on his penultimate, when second from a 3lbs lower mark despite hanging right in the straight when beginning to challenge. The champion jockey was also in the saddle when the Tony Bloom-owned son of New Bay was again a beaten favourite at Wolverhampton when he tried to make all. He is proving costly to follow, and stablemate Hard To Believe, who has been ridden by Murphy in all four career starts to date, is the Balding horse I am most afraid of.
The three-year-old was backed as if defeat was out of the question when disappointing at York last time – sent off 2/1 in a 14-runner handicap at the Dante meeting – when he travelled up the centre of the track while the action was unfolding on the far side.
That was his first start at 12f, and his stamina is not exactly guaranteed for the trip on breeding, especially if the rain arrives and preference is for the filly KINDLY QUEEN (Each-Way) (Nap), who improved for the switch to turf and first-time blinkers when runner up at Windsor last time.
She has been raised 3lbs for the run, but she was staying on dourly to the line and, while this is a better race, I think she will appreciate underfoot conditions more than most – daughter of Nathaniel – although she has only had the one start on grass and it was fast ground at the Thameside track.
Ralph Beckett has his string in good form, and the lightly raced Kindly Queen gets the each-way vote in a race where I expect the Balding runners to be at the head of the market. A cracking conclusion to a good card.
Recommendation: Kindly Queen (Each-Way) (Nap) - 9/2 with bet365 (3 places)
4:28pm Yarmouth - Moonrunner
Yokohama and Patrol finished 1-2 at Newbury on fast ground last time, but they are reluctantly overlooked this afternoon on ground described as good to soft (good in places) on Wednesday morning, but with further rain forecast, and they are both unproven on soft ground.
The vote goes to MOONRUNNER, who finished second at Haydock on soft ground last time on what was just his third start, and he is open to further improvement on handicap debut for Charlie Fellowes, who had a welcome winner at Carlisle on Tuesday evening.
The selection cantered to the front at Haydock but didn't find as much as expected, and the first four home were covered by less than two lengths, but he looks fairly treated from an opening mark of seventy-seven and is open to significant improvement.
Recommendation: Moonrunner - 5/1 with bet365
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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