Top Racing Previews & Picks for Free: Including 20/1 Shot. In today’s premium racing preview,we break down the biggest races on Saturday. The bookies are keeping things tight at the top end of the betting market, but beneath the short-priced favorites lies serious betting value. Today, we are focusing our crosshairs on the top-tier action at Sandown and Newmarket.
From Group-race heavyweights to ultra-competitive Saturday handicaps, we have analyzed the form, the weights, and the ground to bring you four rock-solid selections — including a massive 20/1 outsider who is absolutely primed to outrun his odds.
Read on for today’s comprehensive runners-and-riders breakdown.
Top Racing Previews & Picks for Free: Including 20/1 Shot
Newmarket 15:15 — The 20/1 Each-Way Value
On paper, the lightly raced Klassleader is the standout package here for top trainer William Haggas. The progressive four-year-old has already marched up to a mark of 98, and having stepped foot on a racecourse just five times, he could easily be capable of much more. The fact that connections are keeping him as a colt strongly suggests they believe there is group-race potential under the hood. However, while he’s the clear standard-bearer, odds of around 5/4 in a competitive Saturday handicap are incredibly off-putting.
The likes of Plage De Havre, Paddy The Squire, Elsass, and Claymore have all shown enough recent form to suggest they will be highly competitive in the finish. That said, the favorite makes the market for an each-way alternative, and I want a poke on something at substantially bigger odds, namely AL AALI.
The George Scott-trained five-year-old hasn’t found the winner’s enclosure for 18 months, but that dry spell has allowed him to drop from a peak mark of 104 down to a highly dangerous 90. He is seriously well-handicapped on old form and comes into this having been beaten only a handful of lengths in his last two outings. If everything falls right in a race that should be run to suit his closing style, he should go incredibly close at a massive price.
The Verdict: Skip the short-priced favorite and back AL AALI (20/1) each-way to exploit his falling handicap mark.
Sandown 13:50 — The Course Specialist
Words of Truth comes into this fresh off a victory over this exact course and distance. While the Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old was penalized by the handicapper for that performance, he did technically come out best of these at the weights. He should certainly be able to compete at Group 3 level eventually, but a few of these rivals are much more established at this grade.
Chief among them is the Australian mare Asfoora, who technically comes out best at the weights and wasn’t beaten far in a grueling Group 1 last time out. Oisin Murphy’s mount deserves to be the rightful favorite, but there’s a strong case to be made for last year’s winner, RUMSTAR.
The Jonathan Portman-trained six-year-old was well behind the Aussie mare at Ascot, but he loves the contours of Sandown much better. Furthermore, the faster ground expected today will suit his running style perfectly. Rob Hornby’s main challenge will be finding the splits when the pace quickens, but if he gets the gaps, we will see a completely different horse today.
The Verdict: RUMSTAR (7/2) loves Sandown and can upset the favorite on quicker ground.
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Sandown 15:35
Constitution River looks like a real talent, having landed the French Derby by three-quarters of a length from stablemate Hawk Mountain, with A Boy Named Susie back in fourth. While the form of that particular race hasn’t been heavily tested yet, it is glaringly clear that Aidan O’Brien’s son of Wootton Bassett is a high-class individual. With that said, he is an incredibly short price to land the Eclipse, and I readily prefer the value on GETHIN.
The Owen Burrows-trained grey was only just touched off by Ombudsman over this exact course and distance last time out, leaving the third-place finisher, Almeric, another three lengths back in the dust. One thing is absolutely certain: that piece of form gives this late-developing four-year-old a massive chance today. At the current prices, we are only interested in backing the son of Ghaiyyath to upstage the Ballydoyle superstar.
The Verdict: GETHIN (5/1) represents superb value against a short-priced favorite on the back of excellent course form.
Sandown 16:47
While he was only a neck clear at the line, Barbury Boy won with a bit in hand at Nottingham last time out. However, the handicapper thought exactly the same thing, raising him a harsh 5 pounds for winning what was only a six-runner affair.
I just wonder if Bridge Of Eagles would do much better if stepped up to 1M4F; when the pace lifted in his last race, it took Billy Loughnane’s mount a little too much time to get his top gears grinding. As for Tambora, who finished fourth in that same race, he was only a further neck behind. However, the Hannon horse got the absolute run of the race that day, and the same simply cannot be said for the second-placed finisher, AKHO MEZZNA.
Oisin Murphy’s partner showed heavily improved form in that race despite a difficult trip. Even though he has been raised a pound in the handicap for his troubles, he still looks very nicely treated here and gets the vote to right last time’s wrongs.
The Verdict: AKHO MEZZNA (8/1) is the well-handicapped selection who didn’t get the luck of the draw last time.
