Curragh 3:10

No explanation needed it a 6 furlong handicap at the Curragh and Norville is running at a decent price, so he has to be backed. He has been poor enough since his last great run there in a better race than this and has Conor King back on off only 1 lb. higher. We’ll know our fate early as if he is prominent early he stands a great chance of winning . 20/1 is worth the risk AGAIN.

1 Point EW 20/1 Tote/BetFred/Betfair

Goodwood 5:10

The Confessor has a decent record at this course and looked to be travelling well last time out until he got no room. I’d like him to be a bit bigger in price but I think 8/1 is still a bit of value in this race, as it’s a class below the norm. I’ll have a small saver on Clockmaker as well at a huge price as he looks well treated and will curly pop up at some stage soon enough.

1 Point win The Confessor 8/1 Skybet/Betfair

½ Point win Clockmaker 28/1 BetVictor

Epson 3:15

This race is possibly the most difficult sprint of the year given the amount of luck in running, the track and the speed of it.  I would have to go with outsiders here as the margins are tiny here between the runners and anything near the top of the market isn’t value in this race.

I’m going with 2 horses with a bit of class in Free Zone and Racy. Free Zone is off a decent mark after his poor recent form but given that he would have needed his seasonal reappearance I don’t this it’s out of the question that he can improve here and the mark of 100 is well within his grasp on his best form. He’ll go on more of less any ground and 33/1 looks a bit of value. Racy has been very good at Meyden this year and he probably needed his couple of runs since. He is worth a small risk at huge odds of 40/1. Again he is flexible with ground.

½ Point win Free Zone 33/1 Various          

½ Point win RACY 40/1 Betvictor Stan James       

Doncaster 5:20

Gramercy got behind at Chester last time out and his race was run. He is of a very good mark has shown a few times this year he is possibly ready to win a race and 8/1 looks value in this weak enough affair.

2 Points win 8/1 Various

4:35 Worcester

Star of Angels is back here after a very long layoff, but has a decent record fresh and is down to a very decent mark. The trainer is well capable of getting one to win after this kind of layoff and 16/1 looks value.

1 Point win 16/1 Various

Chester 3:05

Gramercy ran a very good race in the Victoria Cup over this trip, is drawn well and off a workable mark, and that all adds up to him being value at 10.5 available on Betfair at the moment. There is a hell of a lot of luck involved in these races around here but that’s built into the price.

1 Point win 10.5 Betfair

Newmarket 3:00

Burwaaz has a reasonable record fresh and looks well in here on this mark. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he gave an improved performance here. This is a step down in class for him and doesn’t look the strongest 20k handicap. 16/1 is worth the risk.

1 Point win 16/1 Stan/VCBET

York 2:50

I’m going with a couple of outsiders here.  Masamah is just the wrong price at 20/1. He has a good course record looks to be in form and is well capable of this mark. The other one in Even Stevens, he put in a couple of very good performances on the AW this winter but is on a far lower mark here with a  7lbs claimer on. He could well go off in front and be hard to pass. He also looks to have decent softer ground form and is worth the risk at a big looking 36 on Betfair

1 Point win Masamah 20/1

1Point win Even Stevens 36 Betfair

2:15 Curragh

Norville is one I’ve followed in these big Curragh 6 Furlong sprints for a while now and we are in decent profit from his very good run last time out when he was 2^nd at 33/1.He won’t be far away again here and although I was hoping for 20/1 with 5 places I’m happy enough with 20/1 and 4 places. He has only run ok twice since but they weren’t here and his record round here is very consistent. His odds of placing are about 2/1 so the 20/1 EW will have to be taken.

1 Point ew 20/1 Generally

Curragh 3:20

This race looks a pure 2 horse race to me between Kingman and War Command. Aidan O’Brien’s charge was poor enough in the English equivalent but is sure to improve for the run and put in the best 2yo performances of last year. The Favourite looks the most likely winner particularly given the softer than ideal ground but if it stays at the currant yielding then War Command is certainly not an 8/1 shot here. He looks more of a 5/1 shot and those sorts of margins have to be taken.

1 Point win 8/1 Generally

Haydock 2:05

This is a difficult race to start of the Scoop6 and a similar kind of case can be make for most of the field so I’m going with what looks the value bet here in Cruis tothelimit. He didn’t finish his race well at all last time out but he should improve for that and is back to within 2lbs of his last winning mark at Chester last year.  He also has Superstar claimer Oisin Murphy claiming 3lbs today. He has come back from poor runs to win and run well numerous times in the past and 25/1 is bigger than I would have expected. I’ll be keeping these sprint handicaps to the min bet this summer as they are for the most part a lottery with a huge element of luck..

½ point win 25/1 Various

Newbury 2:40

Some pretty shocking racing today for a Saturday but going to have a min bet on Kenny Powers in the 2:40 at a big looking 25/1. He has some very decent form of higher marks and did show some life in his last run. If he can continue the upgrade off this mark he could well get competitive.

½ Point win 25/1 Bet365/Will Hill

Victoria CUP 

I tipped Excellent Guest in this last year and he won well, i see no reason to suggest that he will not be very close here again. He goes well fresh will have been trained with this race in mind and has a great record at Ascot. His place chances are huge so 20/1 looks a great EW bet particulary with 5 places

2 Points EW 20/1 Bet365 5 places

Pastoral Player appeals here after a break on a half decent mark. He has some very decent course form and possibly needed the break after a poor enough 2013. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see an improvement in form tomorrow and he actually has some decent first time out performances to boot. 33/1 looks well worth a bet with 5 places.

1 Point EW 33/1 5 places Various

3:30 Haydock

Barizan is one of my favourite horses and despite me lacking in the confidence I had last year, I still think 14/1 is great value in this race. He is higher in the weights and the ground is not perfect but the first 2 were miles clear last year in this and it looks a  weaker race. It’s hard to see many passing him if he is in any kind of decent form.

2 Points win 14/1 Betfred

Ascot 4:20

Harris Tweed was poor enough last time but was probably in need of the race. He could be very hard to catch here over a shorter trip with the going getting progressively softer. I would have him as a 4/1 shot or under so the 11/2 is worth a bet for value.

2 Points win 11/2 Various

Sole power won well for us yesterday after being backed as if defeat was out of the question the 4/1 available in the morning was some bargain  

15:10 Newmarket

Swiss Cross on the face of it appears to be out of form at the moment, but he arrives here only 5 days after his last race, and in the past has run well after such a short gap between races. His last race over 7 furlongs can be ignored as he didn’t stay. I’ll be keeping stakes in these big sprint handicaps to the absolute minimum this year and probably only going with small win bets as EW is a looser in these types of races. The Selection is on a decent mark especially compared to his AW mark and I don’t think he is a 40/1 shot here to get back to form from what looks a decent draw.

½ Point win 40/1 Various

15:50 Newmarket

Vorda looksthe value here given her 2yo form. There is a doubt about here getting the 1 mile but  I think it’s worth the risk at 16/1. I’m not sure there looks to be any standout horse in the field this year and it may well be between the 2 french fillies. She looks to have more speed than anything in this field and today could well give her the perfect opportunity to show it on fast ground. Her reappearance was a bit underwhelming but that is why she is available at the price.

1 Point win 16/1 Various

I’ve limited time to day to go into detail

Newmarket 2:40

Sole Power easily has the best form in the race has his ideal conditions and should be shorter than 4/1 . 2 Points win 4/1 a few places

Newmarket 2:05

Strickly Silver looks the value here at a huge price. He has a decent course record and is down to a winnable mark. 1 Point EW 40/1 Betvictor and Betfair

Thirsk 3:40

I was kind of hoping Anderigo would be a bigger price but he looks to have been readied for this and is of a very winnable mark having been second in this last year of 5lbs higher. 9/1 still has a bit of value and he looks the most likely winner to me. 1 Point win 9/1 a few places

I’m also going with a min bet on Osteopathic Remedy at a huge price he usually puts in a good run or two a year at a huge price and 33/1 is worth a small gamble. ½ Point win 33/1 Generally

4:20 Punchestown

One look at the form of The Romford Pele is all it takes here to see that 16/1 is a silly price in this handicap of the mark he runs of tomorrow. His form over this trip on good ground reads well to say the least; he has been competing at the highest level in novice chases and hasn’t been at all disgraced with his runs behind the likes of Balder Success and Tarquin de Seuil. 128 looks hugely fair and it warrants a decent bet as it looks tough to knock him out of the places here

2 Points EW 16/1 The Romford Pele  Ladbrokes Bet365

I’m also going with a saver bet on Shamiran who to my eye jumps particularly well and should be better over fences than he was over hurdles which will give him a decent chance here even 2lbs out of the handicap. It’s possible he would prefer softer ground but he has a very good flat run on good ground in the past and he should be there or thereabouts at a very big looking 29 on Betfair

1 Point win Shamiran 29 Betfair 1 Point Place 5.8