Hi all,

Looking Ahead To The Weekend

It’s a relatively low key weekend quality wise in Britain & Ireland. Not surprising given we have just had four days at York and Irish Champions Weekend is in 10 days.

The best of Saturday’s action is at Sandown which has two Group 3’s the Atalanta Stakes (2:25) Solario Stakes (3:35). It’s Beverley’s biggest race the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes (2:40) which is the highlight of a seven race card.

ITV4 are covering the best of the action from Sandown, Beverley, and Chester on a seven race programme.

I will have a look at some of Saturday’s races in Thursday’s column.

Another Byrnes Coup

Byrnes landed a well-executed betting coup with three out of four runners winning at Downpatrick on Monday.

Byrnes had a fifth intended runner which was scratched after picking up an injury on the way to the course. The race he was due to run in was won by Anyway who was backed from 28/1 down to even money.

The plot thickens to Dick Francis levels. As Anyway had been bought by Charles Byrnes in 2021 but never run for him. Of course, it’s just pure coincidence that his non-runner just happened by chance to be in the race in which a right old gamble was landed.

Looking at the Racing Post’s report on the race.

“Byrnes was interviewed by the stewards after his runner Karloss was withdrawn from the race won by Anyway. He said the horse had slipped in the trailer and sweated up on the way to the course, so he felt it was in his best interests to be declared a non-runner.

He added that the owners of Karloss were travelling behind him and brought the horse back to his yard and that is why he did not arrive at the racecourse with his other runners. The raceday stewards referred the matter to a senior racing official for further investigation”.

It was lucky that the owner was following behind in a horsebox and not a car. Wasn’t it?

The people I feel sorry for are those who had a normal bet in those races. Don’t get me wrong its always good to see these multi-billion gambling corporations get stung. However, the reality is that’s it the normal punters who really got fleeced here.

You couldn’t imagine what we saw in Ireland on Monday happening in other racing jurisdictions like Hong Kong.

How much longer are those who run Irish racing going to allow this to happen?

If the authorities don’t act, then it’s up to punters to stop betting on such low grade races. Personally, I’m swerving betting on Irish races that are not Group contests or Premier Handicaps.  If all punters did the same the Irish Levy would take a massive hit and the authorities would need to do something.

Punters might as well have just got Charles Byrnes bank account and transferred their stakes directly to him rather than bothered with the middleman.

I’m not just having a go at Irish racing. This isn’t just an Irish problem. British racing isn’t much better in truth. I pretty much put a line through midweek Class 5 or Class 6 handicaps. The racing lacks integrity at this level and the authorities can’t be bothered to do anything about it.

Now of course some punters love the thrill of solving the Class 5 & 6 puzzles and good luck if you do, but it doesn’t do anything for me.

Opera Singer hits a high note

I’m not sure we’ve seen a top class juvenile filly so far this season. Some good prospects for sure but not a real standout out one.  A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a few nice 2-year-old fillies that I had seen, and we saw another one at the Curragh on Saturday.

Opera Singer put in a much improved performance when returning to winning ways in the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes. It was a comfortable success for the daughter of Justify who is going the right way.

After the race trainer Aidan O’Brien indicated that filly would come over to Newmarket for next month’s Group 1 Fillies Mile. That race looks ideal for her, and I noticed she was still 12/1 with Sky Bet for that race. I couldn’t resist. Even the 9/1 with bet365 looks good to me. If she does line-up, she’ll be much shorter.

On pedigree she should stay 1m 2f as 3-year-old but if she was to handle Newmarket you would have to consider here a live 1,000 Guineas contender.

Opera Singer is a general 16/1 for the next year’s 1,000 Guineas and again those odds to look decent to me. They will look even better if she was to win the Fillies Mile.

Sea The Fire

I wrote in this column that I was impressed with See The Fire after her Newmarket racecourse debut success. Well, she’s also got an entry in the Fillies Mile and is top price 14/1 with William Hill for that race. Once more I couldn’t resist those odds although she might well take in the Rockfel Stakes before the fillies mile. 

I haven’t backed See The Fire for the 1,000 Guineas, I see her as more an Oaks type. However, if she was to win the Fillies Mile, she won’t be anyway close to her present 33/1 odds for the 1,000 Guineas. Indeed, she will be close to favouritism.

Wednesday Preview

A forgettable day’s racing but here are few pointers for Musselburgh and Kempton.

Musselburgh

If pace does win the race you would want to be on likely front runners Judgement Call (3:00) and Yorkindness (3:30). The first named made all to win over C&D two starts but couldn’t get to the front last time. Meanwhile recent Pontefract winner Yorkindness looks the pace angle in the Portobello Cup Handicap.

Kempton

8:30 – Maso Bastie eitherdidn’t handle track or didn’t have the necessary experience when a well beaten 9^th of 12 at Goodwood 26 days ago. It could be that the 3-year-old is tricky ride but the visor is applied for the first time and I think he remains with handicap scope off a mark of 85.

As for a selection I will leave you with my ante post advice above.

Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John