ZECHARIAH was given an ultra-positive ride at Newbury last time by Tom Marquand and it worked in spades, with the pair lowering the course record.
The three-year-old colt, trained by father and son team Martyn and Freddie Meade, has not been the most consistent performer this season, putting up three poor runs along with his two excellent ones.
But when he is good he is very good. If he stays at the top of his game, hopefully with Marquand back in the saddle, he is capable of toppling the odds on-favourite in the Cazoo St Leger.
Charlie Appleby’s colt, New London, deserves to be favourite for the last Classic of the flat season at Doncaster on September 10. But he is untried over 1 mile 6 furlongs and his odds look too short to me.
There are only 13 runners left in the race after the latest declaration stage this week and they include Roger Varian’s Eldar Eldarov, who touched off Zechariah at Ascot in June at level weights and is lightly raced.
On balance, however, Zechariah is the value to gain revenge on Eldar Eldarov. Take the 12-1 each way with most bookmakers, including William Hill, Sky Bet, Betfred, Paddy Power and Betfair.
The Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup, run a week later on September 17, is always a hugely competitive sprint handicap, with a maximum field of 25 runners.
The horse that catches my eye is James Fanshawe’s five-year-old gelding FRESH. He loves big field handicaps and won the Moet & Chandon International Stakes at Ascot in late July.
Apart from beating some in-form horses, notably Bless Him and Dark Shift, the thing that impressed me most was that he was running on ground much firmer than he likes.
Fresh has been raised 4lbs to a rating of 102 for that victory but he is capable of winning off his new mark, particularly if there is some rain at the Scottish track on the run-up to the Ayr Gold Cup.
Fanshawe clearly rates Fresh highly because his sprinter has been given an entry in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on October 15. Then he is almost certain to get the soft ground he prefers and the horse has run well at the meeting for the past two years.
Back Fresh win only at 14-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup with Coral or Ladbrokes, because his place odds are too skinny with only four places on offer at this stage.
In the same race, however, I can’t resist an each way bet on an old favourite of mine, GULLIVER. Like Fresh, he is much better with cut in the ground but can handle faster ground too.
Now aged eight, Gulliver was third in the Ayr Gold Cup all of three years ago and I am convinced that he still has a big handicap in him. I would love to see Jason Watson take the ride in three weeks’ time as he seems to get a good tune out of David O’Meara’s gelding.
Take the 33-1 each way, available with several bookmakers including bet365 and William Hill.
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One for the horse tracker
Get Shirty, one of my tips for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap last weekend, was given a strange ride in the race by Danny Tudhope. Drawn on the outside of the field in stall 24, the horse was steadied and taken all the way to the inside. Held up, he made good ground to finish a respectable fifth. Frankie Dettori, riding the winner Trawlerman, showed his fellow jockeys the best way to handle an outside draw in the Ebor. If Get Shirty had been given a similar ride he would undoubtedly have made the frame. David O’Meara six-year-old gelding can return to winning ways later in the season over a trip of up to 2 miles. He might even be one for the Melbourne Cup in Australia, and he has the advantage of not being ground dependent.
Pending:
1 point each way Zechariah at 12-1 for the Cazoo St Leger. 1/5th odds, 3 places.
2 points Fresh at 14-1 for the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup.
1 point each way Gulliver at 33-1 for the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup. ¼ odds, 4 places.
Settled:
1 point each way Arcadian Sunrise Cup at 16-1 in the Chester Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. 4th. + 3 points.
1 point each way Morph Speed at 25-1 in the Chester Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Auditor at 16-1 in the TRU7 Handicap, 1/4 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Moss Gill at 12-1 in the Temple Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Caradoc at 11-1 the Cazoo Handicap, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Westover at 20-1 in the Cazoo Derby,, 1/5 odds, 3 places. 3rd. + 3 points.
1 point each way Changingoftheguard at 9-1in the Cazoo Derby, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each Moneista at 16-1 in the King’s Stand Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Rock Eagle at 20-1 in the Ascot Stakes, 1/5 odds, 7 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Raymond Tusk at 33-1 in the Copper Horse Stakes, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Get Shirty at 14-1 in the Copper Horse Stakes, 1/5 odds, 5 places. 1st. + 16.8 points.
1 point each way Aratus at 40-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Symbolize at 18-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup, 1/5 odds, 8 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Rosemary and Thyme at 40-1 in the Kensington Palace Stakes, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Princess Zoe at 13/2 for the Ascot Gold Cup, 1/5 odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Star of Orion at 25-1 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, 1/5 odds, 7 places. .Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Dance Fever at 20-1 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, 1/5 odds, 7 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Stay Well at 16-1 in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, 1/5 odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Minzaal at 14-1 in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Double or Bubble at 14-1 in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, 1/5 odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Gulliver at 33-1 in the Wokingham Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Popmaster at 33-1 in the Wokingham Handicap, 1/5 odds, 7 places. 2nd. + 5.6 points.
1 point each way Calling the Wind at 14-1 in the Queen Alexandra Stakes, 1/5 odds, 4 places. 3rd but Rule 4 deduction. + 0.81 points.
1 point each way Onesmoothoperator at 13/2for the Northumberland Plate, 1/5 odds, 7 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Primo Bacio at 33-1 for the Falmouth Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Star of Orion at 16-1 for the Bunbury Cup 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Ropey Guest at 25-1 for the Bunbury Cup, 1/4 odds, 4 places. 2nd. + 5.25 points.
2 points win Intellogent at 8-1 for the John Smith’s Cup. 3rd. – 2 points.
2 points win Tactical at 12-1 for the International Stakes. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2 points win Air to Air at 20-1 for the International Stakes. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Ropey Guest at 16-1 for the International Stakes, 1/5 odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Caradoc at 12-1 for the Coral Chesterfield Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Hydroplane at 10-1 for the Coral Goodwood Handicap, 1/4 odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Montassib at 10-1 for the Coral Golden Mile, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
1 point each way Ouzo at 16-1 for the Coral Golden Mile, 1/5 odds, 6 places. 4th + 2.2 points
1 point each way Acklam Express at 15/2 for the Qatar King George Stakes, 1/5 odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Inver Park at 16-1 for the Coral Stewards Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Summerghand at 20-1 for the Coral Stewards Cup, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Mokaatil at 11-1 for the Stewards Cup Sprint, 1/5 odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Copper Knight at 25-1 for the Sky Bet and Symphony Group Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Cruyff Turn at 16-1 for the Clipper Logistics handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Blue for You at 14-1 for the Clipper Logistics handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places. 1st. + 17.5 points.
2 points win Titan Rock at 17/2 for the Abacus Securities 20-Year Anniversary Handicap. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Get Shirty at 18-1 for the Sky Bet Ebor, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each Euchen Glen at 16-1 for the Sky Bet Ebor, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Ever Present at 16-1 for the Sky Bet Ebor, 1/5 odds, 5 places with Sky Bet, NRNB. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Gulliver at 33-1 for the Sky Bet Constantine Handicap, with bet365, 1/5 odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2022 Flat season running total: - 22.84 points.
2021-2 jumps season + 77.95 points.
My gambling record for the seven years: I have made a profit in 12 of the past 13 seasons. To a 1 point level stake over this period, I have made a profit of 460 points. All bets are either 1 point each way or 2 points win (a "point" is your chosen regular stake).