4:20

This is the funniest market I’ve seen for a sprint in a long time. I’ll start with Gordon Lord Byron, he had a poor enough introduction this year, but his form at the end of last year could easily be enough to win this race even on good ground. He just failed to win the Sprint Cup, and backed that up with a good 2^nd in the Foret and a big run in the Hong Kong Sprint. That’s not the form of a horse in decline 25/1 with Ladbrokes is bordering on an insult. Caspar Netscher is another who looks to be underrated here and in my view has been building to a big run on one of these races. He caught the eye last time out at a big price and I’d be very happy with 33/1

1 Point win 25/1 Ladbrokes Gordon Lord Byron

1 Point win 33/1 Generally Caspar Netscher

5:00 Ascot

Ninjago leaps of the page here at a decent price. He was second in the Stewards Cup of 1 lb higher last year, backed that up a few times since, and caught the eye last time out in the Victoria when not getting a decent run. Hell love the fast ground and is drawn in the middle so should have the choice. 20/1 with 6 places on Paddy Power looks a great price and I’m going to chance a decent EW bet

I’m going for another proven big sprint handicapper in Blaine . He was 3^rd in the Ayr Gold Cup last year of 2lbs higher than this mark and caught the eye on his second last run as possibly being on the way back. He was also a good 5^th here over further in the challenge cup when he led but couldn’t  stay. This trip looks to be his best and he is a bigger price than I expected. If his high draw works out he should be right in the firing line.

2 Points EW 20/1 Ninjago Paddy Power 6 Places  

1 Point EW 33/1 Blaine  Paddy Power 6 places  

3:05 Ascot

Educate has been ramping up to a good performance lately and he looked to bump into a real performer last time out when finishing second to The Corsican. He probably doesn’t win enough for all his good runs but his price this time is more than I expected and considering he was 4^th in a similar or better race to this at york last year of 7lbs higher 18/1 looks a bit of a bargain.

1 Point win 18/1 Ladbrokes

Ascot 3:40

I think the market may have it wrong with the price of Hillstar here. On all known form he should be close to the 2^nd best in this race, and although it is his seasonal reappearance 12/1 without the Fav here looks decent value to beat the rest of the field. In my view he should be about 6-7/1 w/o here.

1 Point win 12/1 Ladbrokes/Coral without Telescope.

Ascot 3:40

It’s not normally my style but Limato looked like the Second Coming up to his very good run on probably too soft ground last time out. He should improve massively on this ground and 6/1 now looks value. His winning form has worked out well, and although he has a very good horse to beat in Hootenanny, I think he may well end up going off at 4/1 or less so id be happy to have a bet.

2 Points win 6/1 Generally

Ascot Gold Cup 4:20

I’ve totally convinced myself that the favourite is a mad price and has to be avoided on this ground. That said my main selection here is generally thought of as a soft ground horse, but I beg to differ. Tac De Boistron’s best ever performance was on good ground in Longchamp where he really picked up well on good ground and beat a decent field easily at the end of 2013. He has been lightly raced since but if he can cope with this ground he is well overlooked at a very big looking 16/1. Too many of the young horses might have too little between them, and have yet to prove they are up to this standard. I’m also going to go with Simenon at a decent looking 12/1 as he is proven here in this race and I liked the look of his return after a long layoff and immediately thought none of the ones that beat him that day could finished ahead of him here.

2 Points win Tac De Boistron 16/1 Generally

1 Point win Simenon 12/1 Generally

Ascot 3:05

Cape Clear Island looks easily the value in this race. He ran well in the French Derby. He has been deserted by Ryan Moore, but this group 3 should with his level. 14/1 looks big with all the stables runners going well this week.

1 Point win 14/1 Generally

5:00 Ascot

I’m not a fan at all of these 3yo handicaps, but I had to have a look and I saw one piece of form that stands out in comparison to mark. Jargon won a couple of fairly harmless maidens and then ran poorly in a nursery in Doncaster, but after than ran a great race in France when 2^nd to a very decent horse. That race has worked out really well and a reproduction of that of this mark might give him a tiny chance here. We have to forget about his first run this year 2 weeks ago, when he ran out of steam. Hopefully he can come on for that run and is hard to resist at 100/1. I’m also going with a small bet on Rotherwick, who had to try to give weight to Jack Hobbs and Stravagante on his first run this year, and ended splitting them which is obviously pretty decent. There are bits of his 2yo form as well that indicate that on his day he can be better than this mark. 25/1 is bigger than I expected him to be.

½ Point EW Jargon 100/1 5 Places Various

1 Point win Rotherwick 25/1

 Ascot 5:00

As much as I love these big field handicaps around here the more I look at this race the less chance I give anything to win it. That said I like the chances of American Hope getting back to form in this. He ran a silly race last time out here so will need to get back to his 2 good runs over c&d here last year. The form of that second to Mange All has really worked out well and if he is none the worse for that Victoria Cup Disaster he may well get back on track here. The 6 places with paddy power at 25/1 looks a standout bet

The other one I like here at a big price is Sirius Prospect. He is capable of this mark and has shown up well in his last 2 races against group class opposition. He has a decent record around here and I like his chances of getting involved at a huge price.

1 pt EW Paddy Power 25/1 6 places

1 pt EW Sirius Prospect Paddy Power 50/1 6 places

Ascot 2:30

Toscanini was a bit of a disappointment last time out but on 2yo form he is near enough the top to have a serious chance here if returning to form. He also has form around here when 2^nd in the Chesham. All his best form in of Good/Firm, and I’m not sure his trainer makes a habit of sending ones without a chance. 16/1 looks a big price for him to regain some reputation here. I also have to have a small bet at silly odds on Father Frost, who again was poor last time out but has shown enough potential to be better than a 50/1 shot.

1 Point win Toscanini 16/1 Generally

½ Point win Father Frost 50/1 Stan James/Coral

Ascot 5:00

I’m going for 2 national hunt horses here with some decent flat form at big prices in this race. Handazan has been improving again over hurdles lately to a very decent 2^nd behind a handicap snip last time out. He has a couple of flat runs in 2013 that are fairly standout in the context of this race. He was good 3^rd in a listed contest and Nottingham and put up a decent show in a Group 3 around here soon after. He has been a solid 130-135 hurdler and if his recent return to form in that sphere is replicated here he could well outrun his huge price. Royal Irish Hussar is another who has been coming back to form lately and although he was poor here last year, that was at the end of a very long season with no break. He has been lightly raced since and this selection is a question of a big price combined with the idea that he surly wouldn’t be back here if he couldn’t atone for last year’s run.

1 Point EW Handazan 40/1 Various

1 Point EW Royal Irish Huzzar 33/1 Various

Ascot 3:40

Stepper Point is an easy selection here. I put him up last year at 100/1 and he finished 2^nd, but he also backed that up again at York. He was only beaten by Sole Power in good ground 5 Furlong Group 1s last year and that’s good enough for me at 33/1. He hasn’t been great this year but it was mostly the same last year up to this point. Bet365 are the standout at 33/1 with 4 places.

1 Point EW 33/1 Bet365 4 Places

Wokingham 

I’ve been waiting for nrnb on this race since I saw Hawkeyethenoo gear himself up for this on Saturday. He was, as I kind of suspected on a spin to get him right for his next race . He was excellent in the Victoria Cup when not getting any kind of decent run. He is well in on his old form and just ticks too many boxes to not be delighted with 33/1 . Only 4 places is not ideal but if we wait until the day he won’t be 33/1 .

2 points e/w bet365 nrnb .. 

4:15 Doncaster 

York Glory is an old favourite of mine and despite the fact that he may be in line for a few more reductions in mark before a win, I just can’t let him go off at 33/1 today without a small bet .  He looked decent enough of his reappearance and was surly in need of that run . 

1 point win 33/1 generally .

These Sprints tomorrow are going to take an unbelievable amount of luck but still there is value to be found.

York 2:35

Highland Colori looks the value here at a big looking 25/1. He is being underestimated probably because of a poor enough run around here last time out but he was slow away and had to do too much to get involved early, then was wide into the straight. It would have taken a miracle to get close under those circumstances and that run can be ignored. It’s better to have a look at his second last run, when a good 3^rd in a very decent Goodwood race. That race signalled a return to form and if he is back at all any improvement will have him right in the firing line here.

1 Point win 25/1 Coral/Betfair

Musselburgh 2:50

Money Team hasn’t had a lot of luck in running lately, but I think he has proved best over 5 furlongs, and the step back here should really help. If he can recover the form of some of his very good 3yo handicap runs on a fast 5 furlongs he should have a decent shout here of this mark. Were probably with the right trainer for this type of race as well. 20/1 looks a bit of value for a horse with a bit of potential

1 Point win 20/1 Paddy/StanJames

Musselburgh  3:25

Kingsgate Choice is a former winner of this race who hasn’t had much racing since. I thought his seasonal reappearance was very decent given that he probably needed the run and you’d have to think today would be the plan for this very fast sprinter. He has a very good 5lbs claimer on here and off that mark he is well capable on his old form. He seems the value of the race at 22/1. I had a good look at Hawkeyethenoo given his last very good run when I was on in the Victoria Cup but I think he may be better over further and I expect him to show up at Ascot with a chance after perhaps a midfield run here to sharpen him up.

1 Point win 22/1 tote/Fred/betfair

Actually I’ve had a change of heart here and I just can’t not have a bet on Hawkeythenoo at 16/1. The TV would be in danger of having a remote buried in it if he won and I didn’t put him up. He is obviously back to form and a 1 point win bet just in case is in order here.

1 Point win 19.0 Betfair 16/1 Generally

York 3:10

Top Notch Tonto has been running well in races much too good for him but this step down in class looks to be what’s required for him to get involved at a big price. He has plenty of good results on decent ground and on a line through some of these a lot higher up in the betting he is great value at 14/1. He is still only a 5yo and his standard level of form might just be enough here.

1 Point win 14/1 Various

Sandown 2:20

Apostle is beginning to interest me here. He didn’t get the run of the race last time out at Chester but it looks an improvement in form over his other runs this year. 33/1 is past the point of value where I have to have a small bet. He was very consistent last year and it may only be a matter of time until he gets back into the grove. I’ll have a min bet in case today is the day he starts to show.

1 Point win 33/1 Sky/VC/Betfair

4:40 York

Icon Dream was a selection of mine last time out at a huge price and ran a great race in a similar race to this. The form of that race has worked out really well, and he is weighted to be competitive here. He has a big turnaround with Trendsetter for only a couple of lengths and at 14/1 he looks value. I can see a load of negatives with a lot of the runner’s in this, and I’m hopeful he has found a decent opportunity.

1 Point win 14/1 365/VC/Coral