Take three course specialists to land the big handicaps at York later this month
Flat season 2022: bets 41, 42 & 43
“Horses for courses,” read the brief WhatsApp message from my pal, Tom, moments after Commanche Falls had crossed the line to win the Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood on Saturday for the second successive year.
It is not the first time this season that a big sprint handicap has gone to the same horse two years in a row. In June, Rohaan won the ultra-competitive Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot, just as he had done 12 months earlier.
Later this month I am hopeful that CRUYFF TURN can perform a similar feat when he tackles the Clipper Logistics Handicap at York. Last season the gelding, now five, won this race at the tasty odds of 28-1 off a mark 5 lbs lower than he will race off on August 18.
Back him at each way at 16-1 with Sky Bet to repeat the trick. He is certainly a course and distance specialist as his only win since last August came at York in May. He’s a much better horse on fast ground so let’s hope it stays warm and dry for another fortnight.
It always baffles me why York is such a specialist track. Flat and with a long straight, it should be fair to one and all. But there is no doubt that some horses handle the course very well, while others have an aversion to it. “Horses for courses,” is certainly true of York, even if the precise reason for this escapes me and many others.
In the same race, however, I also want to be on BLUE FOR YOU, who was second, beaten by stablemate Orbaan, in the Coral Golden Mile at Goodwood last Friday. Yes, both horses had the advantage of the inside two stalls, but Blue for You was trapped on the inside in the straight and is even better than he showed.
With two runner-up slots at York in his previous two races, he clearly likes the track and so back him each way at 14-1, also with Sky Bet. He needs several horses to drop out to be guaranteed a place in the starting line-up, but that should happen between now and the off.
Another horse that loves York is EUCHEN GLEN. He ran a huge race last Saturday when third to Trawlerman in Goodwood’s Coral Summer Handicap. Now nine years old and capable of throwing in more bad runs than good, Jim Goldie’s gelding might well have won last weekend but for his troubled passage over the last 2 furlongs.
I have had a soft spot for Euchen Glen ever since he did my racing pals and me a huge favour when he landed the John Smith’s Cup at York four years ago at odds of 20-1.
Now that he is perfectly suited by a distance of 1 mile 6 furlongs, I hope he can land the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York on August 20. Back him each way at 16-1 with bet365 or most other bookies.
Any cut in the ground would be a bonus for Euchen Glen, but he handles all going pretty well. The horse will need luck in running as he is likely to be held up for a late charge by his regular pilot Paul Mulrennan.
The horse is well treated too. The official handicapper has put him up 3lbs for his fine Goodwood run but he can run off his old rating of 102 in the Ebor because it is an “early closing” handicap.
This weekend's Shergar Cup meeting at Ascot is great fun but not for me as a betting proposition.
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One for the horse tracker
There were plenty of hard luck stories from Glorious Goodwood last week, as is par for that undulating and turning course. But no horse was more unfortunate than Andrew Balding’s Stone of Destiny in the Coral Stewards’ Sprint Handicap, the consolation race for the Stewards’ Cup. First, he dwelt in the stalls and then he had nowhere to go behind a wall of horses from two furlongs out. Finally, he was hampered when trying to make his effort a furlong out before eventually finishing a close 4th. Compensation awaits for this seven-year-old gelding who was rated 106 just over a year ago and is now down to a very handy rating of just 87.
Pending:
1 point each way Cruyff Turn at 16-1 for the Clipper Logistics Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Blue for You at 14-1 for the Clipper Logistics Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Get Shirty at 18-1 for the Sky Bet Ebor, ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each Euchen Glen at 16-1 for the Sky Bet Ebor, 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 9-1 in 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 13/2 for 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.
2022 Flat season running total: - 27.34 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).