Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips For Thursday, 25 June - Nottingham, Newmarket & Newcastle
Charlie heads to Newcastle 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.
11:00am Nottingham - Nymphaea
Early starts at both Nottingham and Newmarket (July course) with the latest heatwave set to continue in England and Wales.
All five of the stayers who go to post for the 1m6f handicap will be ridden by their jockey for the first time including Pat Cotsgrave on Two Plus Two who could easily get a soft lead and make all.
The vote, however, goes to NYMPHAEA who will be ridden by Marco Ghiani for the first time over a trip that the filly has never raced previously on turf. I thought she ran well – albeit in a moderate 0-50 classified event – when third at Windsor over 12f last time when she gave every indication that an additional quarter of a mile would suit.
The filly is a half-sister to the high-class hurdler Nemean Lion and will be sent over timber sooner rather than later by Jenny Candlish, but connections will be keen to get a win next to her name on the level.
Just a note Ghiani rode a double at Windsor on Monday night, and his ride made all the difference in the 12f handicap on Astrological. Seeing stars? I was spitting feathers on the ride given to our selection Edwin Hubble (2/1 from 6s) who really ought to have won but Ghiani is riding very we'll at present.
Recommendation: Nymphaea - 6/4 with bet365
1:15pm Newmarket - Crystal Pier
Many of the top yards are represented in the concluding fillies' handicap over a mile, but CRYSTAL PIER has had the look of a progressive filly in her two starts so far this term and she gets the vote for Rossa Ryan and Ralph Beckett.
The three-year-old broke her maiden tag when scoring at Wolverhampton from a 6lbs lower mark last month but improved again switched to turf when beaten a head by Lady Dora Mae at Windsor later in the month. That form has been franked by the winner who is now rated 19lbs higher in the weights having finished runner up in a listed Goodwood contest last time.
The selection has only been raised 4lbs since Windsor although she was claimer ridden at the Thameside track, and one could argue she is 9lbs higher as a result. The third at Windsor – Come On Eibhlin – has since run well in defeat and has every chance on the revised terms but Crystal Pier looked one to keep onside last time and is taken to confirm the form.
There looked an advantage in racing o the far side at the July course at their first two-day meeting last weekend, but the stalls are positioned on the stands' side today. The hope is that there is no similar "golden highway" on the near side with the selection drawn away from the rail in stall two.
Recommendation: Crystal Pier - 10/3 with bet365
3:12pm Newcastle - Per Contra (Each-Way) (Nap)
The William Haggas trained Eternal Force was sent off 4/1 for the Lincoln back in the spring and ran well enough to be beaten less than three lengths in that top class handicap.
He has since finished runner up at Hamilton over their extended mile – beaten just a nose – and steps back up in distance on his AW debut this afternoon. His dam was an all-weather winner so the surface should hold no terrors although he didn't seem to quite get home at Nottingham – led but finished fourth of five in a good maiden – on his previous run at today's ten furlongs.
There are no prices at the time of writing but, given his all-weather record 1-3-1 and form of the stable, I am going to support PER CONTRA (Each-Way) (Nap) each way for Tim Easterby. The five-year-old is only 1lb higher than when scoring over course and distance back in September and has been running very well in defeat on turf in recent starts.
He has been hinting that he needs slightly further than 10f in recent starts, but he ran a terrific race when fourth at York from a 1lb higher mark last time, slowly away and might have finished third had he not met trouble a furlong from home. He is well drawn in stall three and he receives a stone from the Haggas top-weight and likely market leader Eternal Force.
Recommendation: Per Contra (Each-Way) (Nap) - 11/2 with bet365 (4 places)
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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