Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Thursday, 9 October - Bath & Ayr
Charlie heads to Bath 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.
The ground at Worcester was good to soft at the last meeting, and they are expecting somewhere between 5-10mm of rain overnight.
Conditions are unlikely to suit summer jumpers, but it promises to be an informative card.
The 1:35pm is worth the admission fee alone, and all six hold realistic claims.
3:15pm Bath - Brilliant Star (Nap)
Ground on the easy side of good is forecast for today’s Bath card where the feature race is the listed Beckford Stakes for fillies’ and mares’ over 1m6f.
Lady Vivian disappointed in a similar contest at Chester when last seen in August, but she is better than that and is a must for any shortlist. No three-year-old has won the corresponding race since 2022, but the vote goes to BRILLIANT STAR (Nap), who was last seen finishing a staying on fourth in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June.
The selection is bred to be smart – by Cracksman out of connections Irish Oaks winner Star Catcher – and she looked in need of a stiffer test of stamina in the Ribblesdale. Her subsequent absence is a concern, but she should relish the cut in the ground and is taken to improve past her more exposed rivals, given she has only had five career starts to date.
Recommendation: Brilliant Star (Nap) - 7/4 with bet365
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
4:21pm Bath - Condotti
The eight-year-old Oman scored over course and distance on faster ground last week and can race from the same mark, as that was an apprentice race. He has been raised 3lbs for that success, but that doesn’t kick in until the weekend, and he obviously goes well for Myla Coggins and is 2lbs lower than when scoring at Goodwood on good to soft ground back in June.
He looks the one to beat, but marginal preference is for CONDOTTI - half the age of Oman – who has a record over ten furlongs this term of 2-2-1, having had the third 8l back when beating Falcon Eight a head at Haydock last month.
Hugo Palmer’s gelding has only been raised 2lbs for that apprentice handicap success – which seems fair – and David Probert takes over in the saddle. That Haydock win was his first victory in sixteen starts, and he is not an obvious candidate to follow up, but he is clearly improving of late and gets the vote.
Recommendation: Condotti - 4/1 with bet365
4:05pm Ayr - Stanage (Each-Way)
I am loath to desert Empirestateofmind, who did us a favour when scoring over a mile here last week in an apprentice contest. He has been raised 4lbs for that three-quarter length success from the weekend but can race from the same mark this afternoon.
One Night Thunder carries a 5lbs penalty for scoring over course and distance last week, but that rise is negated by the booking of 5lbs claimer Rhys Eliott. One would imagine last week’s course winners will head the market – and rightly so – but I thought STANAGE (Each-Way) ran an eye-catching race when third behind One Night Thunder last week and he gets the each way vote.
I am disappointed to see regular pilot Joanna Mason go to Southwell this evening rather than take the ride on the selection who had the worst of the draw here last week, was slowly away and drifted from 11/1 to double those odds on the show. He was making ground up hand over fist inside the final two furlongs and is 13lbs below his last winning mark.
His career wins have come in first-time headgear (blinkers and a visor), and he goes without any headgear today, but the hope is that he breaks on terms today under Billy Garrity, who rode a winner at Pontefract at the beginning of the week.
Recommendation: Stanage (Each-Way) - 9/1 with bet365 (3 places)
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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