Star daily duo Rory Delargy and David Massey look ahead to today's racing and highlight their best bets - two selections at Newbury.
Racing betting tips: Friday March 21
1pt win Art Of Diplomacy in the 2.30 Newbury at 11/2 (General, min 5/1)
1pt win Zain Nights in the 3.30 Newbury at 7/2 (General, min 3/1)
2:30 Newbury
Roll With It and Olivers Travels have been winners for us in the not-too-distant past using the Peter Bowen first-time-cheekpieces-on-a-handicap-chaser system (rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) and if a wheel ain’t broken, then don’t try to fix it.
ART OF DILPOMACY is the latest Bowen runner to put the system to the test here, and it’s not as if he’s been running poorly either, in the frame all four starts over fences so far and only finding the similarly cheekpieced-first-time De Legislator too good at Wetherby last time, the step up to three miles no bother at all.
The full system record reads 16 winners from 48 runners when the expected winners was a shade over six, so it’s a really robust one, and one well worth following long-term.
3:00 Newbury
We put Manuelito up as a bet two weeks ago at Exeter and were rather unlucky not to collect, the Hobbs/White gelding travelling really well and holding every chance two out only to have the rapidly-improving King Of The Lake prove too good for him. The pair pulled sixteen lengths clear of anything else and compensation surely awaits him sooner rather than later. He’s gone up three pounds for that but looks a winner in waiting.
3:30 Newbury
ZAIN NIGHTS was made joint-favourite to beat Stayers Hurdle third The Wallpark back in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham back in October and in finishing third that day, ran to the best of his form. It’s been pretty patchy form from that point, only a fourth at Huntingdon in January coming anywhere near it, and he ran poorly in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last week, never getting involved and looking like some stronger headgear was required.
He gets that here, the cheekpieces swapped for a visor, and it’s surely of some interest that two of the last three times trainer Lucy Wadham has equipped hers with a first-time visor it’s been successful, and even more so when you note on both occasions the visor was replacing cheekpieces. If it does the trick, Zain Nights is more than capable of winning this off his current mark.
Published at 0915 GMT on 21/03/25
Want to know more about horse welfare within our sport?
2025 successes
- Coniston George 9/2
- Fairlawn Flyer 12/1
- Finn Lough 9/2
- Magma Sam 9/1
- Hawajes 9/2
- Trouble Man 3/1
- Royal Jewel 11/4
- Mr Vango 5/1
- Jack Sprat 11/4
- Ormolulu 100/30
- Khangai 9/2
- Jimmy Knocker 6/1
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.