Timeform TV Focus: ITV racing tips on Wednesday

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Newmarket

1.50 1 pt – 12 Double Rush

It’ll be disappointing if Al Misbar, a Blue Point half-brother to Battaash, can’t win sprint handicaps from a mark in the mid-80s this year, and there are no shortage of other potentially useful types in opposition, but it’s very hard to get away from the claims of Double Rush in here who is fully 8 lb clear on adjusted Timeform ratings. Yes, he mightn’t have faced a stiff task when winning at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago, but his dominant display was fully backed up by the timefigure, and he’s clearly come back a much-improved performer at 3. He has to translate that improvement back to turf, but if he can then he clearly should be better than a mark of 85. What’s more, his trainer Charlie Hills has a good record in this race, having placed horses in it in 2013 and 2014 before unleashing subsequent Group 1 performer Salt Island and Magical Memory to finish first and fourth the year after, and, from just a handful of runners since then, had the runner-up in 2022 and the second and fourth last year.

2.25 No Bet Advised

In fairness the last few years have seen something of an upturn in fortunes for the Wood Ditton after it had been losing its lustre somewhat, but trying to predict which of these will be slightly less backward than their rivals doesn’t appeal much at all, and we’re happy to watch and learn and hope the race will throw up a Passenger or a Lead Artist like the last 2 years.

3.00 1 pt – 2 Grand Grey

Romantic Style is a short-priced favourite for the Abernant, unexposed sprinter she is, but it’s hard to escape the conclusion that she beat not just second-raters but probably third-raters when winning a listed race at Meydan at the end of January and this should represent a tougher assignment. Admittedly, it’s hard to know if the upgraded handicappers Lethal Levi and the penalised Apollo One will be at their best at this stage of the season, and while that shouldn’t be an issue for Sajir who showed his wellbeing when coming out and winning a minor event on the all-weather at Chantilly 5 weeks ago, and who won’t have an issue with the easing conditions, fellow 4-y-o Grand Grey strikes as better value on Tuesday afternoon. Originally trained in Italy, he was gradually progressive after moving to France last year, unlucky not to win at this level in September when having to wait for a clear passage when coming to challenge the leaders. He found the Abbaye beyond him on his final start but, having been picked up his current owners for €340,000 on the eve of that, he’s since joined Kevin Ryan and it’s not hard to see him improving for that switch, Ryan a dab hand with sprinters and with an enviable record in this race.

3.35 0.5 pt – 7 The Waco Kid

A fascinating renewal of the Craven, 4 of these in the frame in Group 1s last year (New Summer successful in one in Canada), with a couple unbeaten in 2 all-weather starts in the mix, too. It can’t be deemed a positive for Opera Ballo though that Buick is on Amori City (presumably had the choice of the pair), and with easing ground a further imponderable, we’re going to have a stab at The Waco Kid to small stakes at very big odds. He was behind a few of these in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf when trying 1m on his final start last year, but that effort isn’t hard to excuse given it was his seventh run in not quite 4 months, and for all he had the run of the race when winning the Somerville Stakes on his previous outing, there’s very little wrong with that form, while that showed he’s well at home on this track and with cut in the ground. He does lack the scope of some of these but, against that, might just be more ready than many of those returning, and he did progress with every run last year up to that final one.

Cheltenham

2.05 1 pt ew – 13 Ballytechno

This race is probably an afterthought for a lot of these, but that’s seemingly not the case so far as Ballytechno is concerned. He hasn’t been seen since the Christmas period, when finishing a better-than-the-result third at Kelso, and is still lightly raced after just 5 starts over hurdles. Trained by the excellent James Owen, Ballytechno has almost certainly been intentionally kept away from testing ground over the last 3 months or so and has the highly promising conditional Callum Pritchard on for the first time. It’s also possible that the race will pan out to suit the way he’s ridden, loads of these known for forcing the issue and Ballytechno ridden with a fair degree of patience on his last 3 starts.

2.40 1 pt – 6 O’Moore Park

It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if any one of Il Ridoto, Fugitif or Blow Your Wad bounced back in this, though deciding which one of the trio would represent the best bet at the prices isn’t easy. That’s why it’s best to keep things simple and side with the Golden Miller fourth O’Moore Park. He was sent off at 66/1 at Cheltenham having had jumping issues early in his chasing career, but he’s been much better in that regard on his last 2 starts and there was no fluke about his effort behind Caldwell Potter, acknowledging he had a beneficially prominent pitch from an early stage. A similar ride in this should also be an advantage, especially as there’s a dearth of prominent-racers in the field and, from the same BHA mark, O’Moore Park surely deserves to be a clear favourite.

You can access the TV Focus selections and rationale at 5pm the evening before racing for £7.50 on the Timeform website.

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