Racing betting tips - Wednesday April 14
1pt win Stone Circle in 1.50 Newmarket at 10/1 (bet365 & Betvictor)
1pt win Pym in 2.05 Cheltenham at 11/1 (General)
1pt win Byron Flyer in 2.40 Cheltenham at 25/1 (bet365)
An interesting platter served up on ITV Racing on Wednesday and, while the real quality lies elsewhere, bet of the day at Newmarket comes in the Weatherbys Handicap over six furlongs.
STONE CIRCLE has often been overlooked in his career, for one reason or another, and that could be the case again as the son of No Nay Never makes his first appearance as a four-year-old.
He might well come on for the run, as can be the case with plenty of horses from Michael Bell’s yard, but that’s not enough to dissuade me from having a bet as he’s open to plenty of further improvement this time around having improved for the fitting of a tongue-tie on his final couple of outings in 2020.
That will obviously need to be the case as he’s been raised 6lb to a mark of 87 after signing off with a victory, but he was value for a bit more than the winning margin (nose) and I’m far from convinced it was the switch to soft ground that triggered the progress.
He’s got really respectable form on quicker conditions too, including a successful trip to the Curragh during his juvenile days, plus plenty of experience at Newmarket, both on the July Course and the Rowley Mile.
He’s bred for eight furlongs and beyond so it’s no wonder Bell sampled a mile out in Doha at the start of last year, while he wasn’t running badly at all at seven furlongs thereafter, including a fine fourth to Boccaccio on this course last June.
That came off a mark of 90 and he was only headed in the final 100 yards after showing a great turn of foot to pick up the running. I’m just convinced he’s a sprinter through and through and with a spot of luck from stall eight – arguably a perfect draw given this configuration – William Buick should be able to unleash his best weapon as they head into the dip.
It’s an open race, that much is clear, and Andrew Balding’s Chil Chil could have more in the tank off a perch of 93, having split horses rated 105 and 99 when last sighted at Kempton, but Stone Circle looks a typical case of smart two-year-old who only really finds his level again in handicaps at four, and he appeals most at the prices.
Take two on low-key Cheltenham card
There are a couple of races of interest at Cheltenham including a competitive-looking Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle, in which the five and six-year-olds dominate the betting.
It’s easy to see why and a five-year-old Matorico emerged on top in this race in 2016, but he was a 20/1 chance and it’s not hard to resist the relatively short-priced Beauport this year as he takes on a few more established types on the back of his EBF Final success at Sandown.
The ground was pretty tough that day so he’ll face contrasting conditions here too, while Market Rasen one-two Here Comes McCoy and Quinta Do Mar will have to step up on the bare form of that novice event if they’re to go close on this very different course.
Captain Tom Cat – another of the six-year-olds – does at least have experience of the track and looked a few steps ahead of the assessor when beating Debestyman at the Showcase meeting in October.
He’s only 5lb higher and should relish the return to good ground after a couple of lesser efforts on soft. However, it’s worth chancing old-stager BYRON FLYER, who isn’t much use when the mud is flying these days.
That was the case on his last two hurdle outings towards the end of last year, failing to land a blow at either Ascot or Doncaster. However, he’s useful when he can hear his hooves rattle and was far from disgraced when fourth to Hunters Call at Southwell on his previous jumps outing last July, after which he went on to run some reasonable races on the Flat off marks in the high 90s.
He comes back to the National Hunt game following a Flat sharpener at Newcastle late last month (50/1, led, looked in need of it) with a hurdles rating of 128, which is 7lb lower than his last NH success which came in a novices’ handicap chase in October 2019.
He’s won five times over hurdles all told and, having dipped to such an attractive mark again, might be able to get in on the action here before he has his attentions turned to the summer game again.
He’s a bet at 20/1 and bigger in a race full of horses with bundles of potential but who now have to go and prove they’re made of the right stuff.
Nicky Henderson’s PYM gets another chance to prove his worth back down in trip in the Grade Two Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase, a race his trainer won with Duc De Regniere in 2010 and went very close with French Opera in 2015.
It’s not particularly easy to argue Pym is a well-handicapped horse these days but I didn’t like the idea of him tackling the Grand National one bit, and thankfully sense prevailed on that project.
He comes here after a really disappointing run in the Ultima at the Festival last month but he’s been shaping more and more like he doesn’t want such a severe test of stamina and the switch back will hopefully spark a reaction.
That’s not something I’ve seen coming at all, having fancied him antepost for last year’s RSA Chase, but he didn’t get home after looking a threat in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November, having won first time out from If The Cap Fits in a three-runner race that was clearly an insufficient test for the beaten duo.
Pym made all at Sandown that day and having been declared in a set of first-time cheekpieces, I’d expect to see Nico De Boinville set out to make it with an attacking ride.
He’ll have company no doubt, with Coole Cody, The Big Bite and Benatar all capable of forcing the issue here but Pym has some classy form in the book, including an eight-length course defeat of Imperial Aura off level weights last term, and a mark of 151 really shouldn’t be beyond the eight-year-old with conditions to suit.
Published at 1500 BST on 13/04/21
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