Today we have two horses for your tracker from John Burke along with a selection from his post in the Betting Insiders forum.
Saturday – 06/10
Ascot
Flaming Spear – Give the recent form of the Dean Ivory stable this wasn’t a bad run in the circumstances. Not for the first time he wasn’t the best away but he finished his race off strongly to take 5th.
Granted he’s a bit of a ‘quirky’ horse but when all the cards fall right there is a good race in the gelding.
As I mentioned in my Royal Ascot “Horses To Follow” he looks like he needs a mile now and he has an entry in the 1m Balmoral Handicap back here on Champions Day. Now you would want to see the stable runners in a bit better form by the time of that race but he looks to have a good chance there. He can be backed at 14/1 with Sky Bet or 12/1 with William Hill for the Balmoral.
Advice: Just have him in the tracker for the Balmoral Handicap.
Newmarket
The good thing about end of season juvenile maidens & novice races at Newmarket are the future winners that can be found.
Turgenev – Who got the eye when an impressive winner of a Newcastle novice on his second career start. The John Gosden trained newcomer took another step forward here when giving 6lb + to his eleven rivals to win this 1m Newmarket novice.
His final margin of victory 1 ½ lengths doesn’t reflect his superiority as his jockey eased him up the final 100yds.
The son of Dubawi had no problem with the easy surface and the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster could be his next assignment.
He looks a nice horse already and he’s bred to do better as a three-year-old. When he should be able to stay 1m 2f.
Besides the winner the trainer also had the third home with Franz Kafka. Another son of Dubawi he was making his racecourse debut and his inexperience showed. He stayed on nicely enough into a well beaten 3rd at the line. He’s very much a work in progress and should do better with time and racing. His dam won the 1m 2f Pretty Polly as 3-year-old and was 5th in that seasons Oaks.
Advice: Back Turgenev if he runs at Doncaster but also keep him your trackers for next season.
Today's Selections
Ayr
I pointed out last week the good record of Irish trainer John James Feane at Ayr – 7 winners from 19 runners 37% +9.13 A/E 1.68 9 placed 47%. He had another winner here last week and he send over two from his Curragh base for today’s meeting:
2:05 – Syndicate – 11/4 @ Lads & Sky
3:40 – Long Wood – 5/2 @ WH & BV
Both runners look strong contenders in their respective races. But it maybe worth pointing out that the trainers record in Class 6 races (Long Wood) is – 6 winners from 14 runners 43% +10.88 A/E 1.88 7 placed 50%. With all seven of his winners having their first run at Ayr – 7 winners from 14 runners 50% +14.13 A/E 2.05 8 placed 54% (Syndicate & Long Wood)