Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips For Thursday, 28 May - Yarmouth & Sandown
Charlie heads to Sandown 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.
3:53pm Yarmouth - King's Hand
Hengest is on a hat-trick having scored over today's 10f trip at Windsor earlier in the month, and over a distance of 11.5f at Lingfield (turf) last week, for which he carries a 5lbs penalty.
He looks the one to beat with Luke Morris keeping the ride, having been in the plate last time. He has improved for the step up in trip once handicapping, and this drop back in distance is not an issue, although he was not stopping at Lingfield last time.
KING'S HAND is often keen and lost about 8-10 lengths at the start when scoring over ten furlongs at Lingfield (turf) last week on the day before Hengest scored at the Surrey track.
In the circumstances, he ran a tremendous race to pick up his field, although it is worth noting that the second (Dancing Tiger) lost about 6l, so there was obviously a pace collapse.
The winning time was better than Hengest's - in relation to standard time - and the hope is that Billy Loughnane can get him out of the stalls with the rest of the field, although he will be held up.
The long home straight should suit both last time out winners, but the hope is that King's Hand can double up under his own 5lbs penalty.
Recommendation: King's Hand - 9/2 with bet365
6:12pm Sandown - Lazy Griff
The evergreen Sweet William must give 5lbs to his seven rivals in the Group 3 2m Henry II Stakes, but he showed he was as good as ever when landing the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot on his reappearance, beating previous and subsequent Group 1 winner Caballo De Mar, who gave the Gosden seven-year-old 2lbs.
He looks the one to beat with Epic Poet never having won over the trip. On official figures, the latter only has 1lb to find with the top-weight, and he looked ready for a step back up in distance when third in the Yorkshire Cup (1m6f) last time, when he had Further – reopposes this evening – five lengths behind.
Further had beaten Epic Poet in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury back in August, but the latter is 8lbs better off tonight. That was Further's first start of the season, and the betting suggested it may have been needed. I doubt there will be 5l between them with that run under his belt.
LAZY GRIFF has been off the course since finishing third, staying on all too late – to Lambourn in the Irish Derby back in July. He finished behind Lambourn in a Derby Trial and two classics in his three-year-old season, but always looked the type to thrive over further. He is entitled to need the run, but Charlie Johnston has to find out this evening whether he has an Ascot Gold Cup contender on his hands or whether the Hardwicke Stakes is a more realistic target.
William Buick takes the ride, and I wonder if he will go forward from stall two and dictate his own pace. There is no guaranteed pace in the race, and it is possible that Rab Havlin will have similar thoughts, given that a slow gallop would not suit his thorough stayer.
Recommendation: Lazy Griff - 4/1 with Ladbrokes
7:45pm Sandown - Raammee (Nap)
RAAMMEE (Nap) makes his turf debut, having won both all-weather starts as a juvenile at Kempton by half a length and at Newcastle in a poor Novice under a penalty.
Roger Varian suggested in a recent Stable Tour that the four-year-old might be something better than a handicapper in time with the listed 10f Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, mentioned as a possible mid-season target. If that is to be a realistic target, he must run a big race this afternoon, although he will get further as the season progresses. I am not overly concerned with the switch to grass.
Saytarr won his last three on the all-weather and ran well when third at Ascot from a 1lb lower mark at the beginning of the month. He has been raised 1lb for the run and looks sure to run well, but Raammee could easily be a cut above this opposition and gets the vote.
Recommendation: Raammee (Nap) - 10/11 with Sky Bet
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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