Alex Hammond tips and blog: Sky Sports presenter with her latest selections

By Alex Hammond

Horse Racing

Sat May 06, 2023 · 2y ago

I’m back from my camping trip just in time for the first Classics of the season, with the 2000 and 1000 Guineas this weekend.

It’s all systems go for the Flat season now with the championships all getting under way on Saturday. The champion jockey race should be gripping this season with Oisin Murphy back from his lengthy suspension and seemingly riding like a man making up for lost time.

He’s approaching 50 wins for the year at the time of writing, but all that will count for nothing in the championship race as they start from scratch this weekend. Current champion William Buick hasn’t been as busy in the UK since the turn of the year and will no doubt be keen to clock up the numbers from here on in having reached 201 in 2022 (157 in the championship) in the absence of Murphy.

Sky Bet have William Buick as a 14/1 shot to come out on top in their champion jockey handicap market, giving Oisin Murphy a 10-winner head start, who is at 9s. Buick finished 66 winners clear of his nearest rivals last season but had a controversial tussle with Murphy the previous season, going down by just one winner. In 2021 Murphy beat Buick by 8, so this season should be exciting.

Onto the QIPCO 2000 Guineas then where Buick has the stronger chance of the two rivals. Buick is on 12/1 shot Silver Knott and Murphy 100/1 outsider Hi Royal. The latter may be better when he takes a further step up in trip, and to be honest Silver Knott probably falls into that category too.

I'm making no apologies for my support of 13/8 favourite AUGUSTE RODIN. I was working in the Sky Sports Racing studio when he won the Futurity at Doncaster in October, and my instant response was that we may have a Triple Crown contender on our hands.

He's in the best yard for that, as trainer Aidan O’Brien only narrowly failed to produce Camelot to be the first Triple Crown winner since the mighty Nijinsky back in 1970. There’s no doubt that Auguste Rodin will be better for a winter on his back and this lovely, uncomplicated colt has the racing world at his feet this season.

O’Brien also runs Little Big Bear who has a different profile to his stablemate. Whereas Auguste Rodin must prove he has the speed for this test, Little Big Bear has to prove he has the stamina.

Chaldean’s prep for this went south when his rider Frankie Dettori was unseated coming out of the stalls in the Greenham two weeks ago. He completed the course unscathed, but you can imagine what trainer Andrew Balding was thinking when his stable star was galloping loose up the Newbury straight! The colt is around 7/1 third-favourite with Little Big Bear.

There are a few of these that will end up sprinting after trying to stretch out over the mile. Sakheer and Noble Style could fall into that category. Royal Scotsman will most probably stretch out adequately over a mile, but I don’t think he has stamina in reserve and will watch him this season with interest. The yard has been a bit short on runners and haven’t had a winner for a while (at the time of writing) with their last winners coming in October, which doesn’t fill you with confidence going into a Classic as hot as this one. He’s got loads of class though and can run well.

With Sky Bet paying four places, it’s worth finding one at an each-way price. There has been a bit of noise around HOLLOWAY BOY, who is a 20/1 shot, not least thanks to the booking of Christophe Soumillon. Karl Burke’s horses have come back to form recently, and this horse burst onto the scene when winning the Chesham on his debut at a whopping 40/1.

He didn’t win thereafter and was put in his place by Auguste Rodin and Epictetus in the Futurity, but maybe he can sneak into the first four on Saturday.

This first leg of the Triple Crown will probably be the toughest test for Auguste Rodin, as he will come into his own over middle distances, but if he bags this, we have an exciting summer ahead.

It’s the turn of the fillies on Sunday with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas where surprisingly Dermot Weld is trying to win this Classic for the first time. He saddles unbeaten Tahiyra who signed off her two-race campaign with a win over reopposing Meditate (Aidan O’Brien) in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September.

She looked sensational that day on ground softer than she will encounter on Sunday. She’s a half-sister to three-time group 1 winner Tarnarwa, by Siyouni, and she looks incredibly exciting this season.

However, a word of caution, as Weld has said she hasn’t grown much over the winter and at the prices, she may not look too enticing until we see more on the track.

Let’s take a chance with KARSAVINA to finish in the places. She’s a big price but is sure to have come on for her fourth placed reappearance behind Mammas Girl in the Nell Gwyn. Clive Cox is an excellent trainer, and he knows this family well having trained her two siblings (including Positive).

I really like Lezoo too but feel she may end up sprinting as she has plenty of pace.

When we last got together, I gave you some horses to follow for the flat season. Queen Of Fairies was one of them and she has an entry in the Newmarket Howden Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.

First jockey to Godolphin, William Buick, is jocked up at this stage (pre-declarations) and she can further advertise Cracksman’s skills as a stallion in this listed race. She also holds an entry for the Ribblesdale, which shows you the regard trainer Charlie Appleby holds her in.

Another, Playactor, is entered in a maiden at Windsor on Monday night. The Windsor maidens can be hot, and the final fields haven’t been finalised at the time of writing, but if he runs, he will be fancied to go well having finished fifth on his return at Newmarket.

He wouldn’t want the ground too soft though. He’s also entered for a Lingfield novice on the all-weather on Tuesday.

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