Today's tips: Racing preview and best bets
Our star daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey are back with a look ahead to today's racing.
Racing betting tips: Saturday May 4
1pt e.w Chairmanoftheboard in the 1:45 Nemarket at 17/2 (Hills, 8/1 Sky Bet ⅕ 1,2,3,4,5,6)
0.5pts e.w Thunder Roar in the 2:40 Thirsk at 6/1 (General - ⅕ 1,2,3,4)
0.5pts e.w Arecibo in the 3:15 Thirsk at 4/1 (General )
0.5pts e.w Time Tells All in the 4:20 Thirsk at 18/1 (General ⅕ 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Wexford Park in the 6:18 Uttoxeter at 22/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair - min 16/1)
1:45 Newmarket
CHAIRMANOFTHEBOARD ran a stormer to be second at Newbury last time and it’s worth bearing in mind that he’s got a decent record in this race, having been placed in it on both good and good to soft ground, so conditions should be ideal. His full record in Class 2 handicaps on ground similar to today’s reads well at 10323322, the only poor run coming at Goodwood, which is easy enough to forgive as he seems to have a dislike for the track, having been unplaced on all three efforts there. He’ll get a nice tow into the race from the speedy Abate, drawn next door to him, and he looks likely to be finishing off well up the stands side.
2.40 Thirsk
With more rain due at Thirsk Friday into Saturday, the ground is likely to ride soft and with that, it’s hard to see how THUNDER ROAR doesn’t run another solid race.
Possibly a touch unlucky not to win the Spring Mile at Doncaster on the first day of the turf season back in March, he did nothing wrong at Leicester last week other than for Cam Hardie possibly giving him a little bit too much to do, the winner nicking it from the front. When he gets soft/heavy ground his record according to Timeform reads 31123, so the more rain the better chance, and it’s very hard to see him out of the frame in a race where not too many will want the ground testing.
3:15 Thirsk
In much the same fashion, there’s only a handful in here that will want genuinely soft ground and of those, ARECIBO makes plenty of appeal. The days of him dining agt the very top table - placed in a Kings Stand at his peak, lest we forget - are long behind him, but a change of scenery from Robert Cowell to Declan Carroll woke his ideas up, and he ran a cracker at Musselburgh, a track that wouldn’t be his cup of tea, on debut for the yard, narrowly beaten by Equality in a valuable sprint handicap.
He’s gone up 3lb for that but in truth that’s neither here nor there, this is more about what handles conditions and on that he scores highly with two wins and four seconds from nine starts below Group company on ground described as soft at this 5f trip.
4:20 Thirsk
Declan Carroll has done well with horses he has picked up from Dermot Weld over the years (2 winners from 9 handicap runners making that switch in the last 5 years, with several of the switchers such as Natchez Trace and Emiyn winning multiple handicaps for Carroll), and he has another likely sort her in TIME TELLS ALL in this 1m handicap.
Time Tells All failed to progress for Weld, but showed his best form in the spring on testing ground, and looks well handicapped on those early efforts. Several of Carroll’s previous acquisitions from Weld had similar profiles, and the gelding looks overpriced at around 20/1.
6.18 Uttoxeter
On a day when bluebloods are taking centre stage at Newmarket, only old Massey could be getting excited about a 0-100 novice chase at Uttoxeter. He thinks he’s dug one out and for what it’s worth, I actually agree with him, so here goes.
Gary Hanmer has had a pretty rotten time of it through the winter and early spring, with just the one winner, but much as he did last year after a similarly poor spell, he’s bounced back to life in the late spring with three winners from his last four runners, and some of those getting beaten have run much better than previously.
WEXFORD PARK is his representative here, and after three starts over hurdles to get him handicapped, he makes the switch to fences for his handicap debut today. Placed in a couple of Irish point-to-points last spring, the form of which makes an opening mark of 85 look very lenient, he goes up half a mile in trip today, which ought to be a positive, and we expect him to leave his form behind today.
Posted at 1020 BST on 04/05/24
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