Value Bet tips: Wednesday April 12
1pt win Princess Shabnam in 1.50 Newmarket at 12/1 (General)
1pt win Torpillo in 2.05 Cheltenham at 9/1 (Bet365 & William Hill)
Princess looks a peach of a bet
It’ll be hugely reassuring for Charlie Appleby and those connected to Native Trail to see last year’s star two-year-old colt make a smooth return to action in Wednesday’s bet365 Craven Stakes, and there’s clearly no need to go looking for something with which to oppose the odds-on son of Oasis Dream.
Star Of India is perhaps the unfortunate Ballydoyle scout sent to test the water against the Guineas favourite ahead of next month’s Classic, although there are other similarly promising individuals in here too including Jane Chapple-Hyam’s New Bay colt Claymore, who beat Godolphin’s subsequent Kempton maiden winner Noble Order handsomely over seven furlongs of the Rowley Mile in October.
It’s definitely a watch and learn race, as is so often the case, and the same applies to this year’s Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes which sees the return of Hugo Palmer’s Ebro River, winner of the Group One Phoenix Stakes and third to Native Trail in the National Stakes subsequently.
He signed off with a relatively limp effort at the Arc meeting at Longchamp but was never likely to be suited by seven furlongs on bottomless ground and this test will shed some light on whether he’s a legitimate Commonwealth Cup contender in the summer.
He certainly looks all speed but there is rather more sprinting evidence to go at in the six-furlong bet365 Handicap and this race is bound to be the focus for many punters.
PRINCESS SHABNAM catches the eye for Newmarket handler Sean Woods, who has had three winners from just seven runners in the past couple of weeks which bodes well. This filly makes her handicap debut from a mark of 89 and it could really underestimate her.
Granted, her second victory as a juvenile came in a minor event when a very short price at Catterick but she’d earlier opened her account with a Yarmouth defeat of William Haggas’s Perfect News, who went on to be third in the Oh So Sharp and is now rated 100.
Princess Shabnam hung quite violently left and wasn’t seen anything close to her best in Kempton’s Group Three Sirenia Stakes in September, prior to the 1/3 stroll in North Yorkshire when showing no such inclination to veer off a straight line, while she looked to be caught on the wrong part of the track when eighth in the Cornwallis Stakes here when last seen.
She ran on pretty well from the widest stall (12) to be beaten under five lengths that day and I’m convinced the daughter of Gregorian will improve for going back up to six furlongs this season.
She may even need further to reach her full potential but this looks a good starting point and the booking of Tom Marquand, for a yard seemingly in great nick, may prove significant (3-16 for Woods in the past).
Twist and shout at Cheltenham
Bet of the day at Cheltenham is TORPILLO in the Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy Handicap Chase.
He's found himself well handicapped after picking up an injury and returning from 641 days away following the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, gradually coming back to the boil and taking advantage of a lowly mark at Wincanton last month.
He made a mistake at the final fence there but had the race won a fair way out and, as a seven-year-old who went off favourite for the Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown when rated 147 just over two years ago, still has untapped potential despite going back up to 140.
He was a little bit of a tearaway in his youth but the time off has settled him down and he's looked much more assured without the hood on his last two outings.
Nigel Twiston-Davies' charge looks well worth another try over two and a half miles and will obviously get a decent pace to chase here in against the likes of Coole Cody and last year's winner Manofthemountain.
Published at 1530 BST on 13/04/22
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.
