There is a real feast of wonderful racing on offer at Ascot tomorrow, courtesy of Qipco Champions Day.
The highlight, of course, is the farewell of the unbeaten four-year-old colt Baaeed, whose 11th and final racecourse appearance will be in the Qipco Champion Stakes (4pm) over a mile and quarter.
Adayar is the obvious danger to the odds-on favourite but 9/2 is not attractive enough each way for a wager and so "no bet" in the race is the suggestion. Simply enjoy a fantastic race, in which we will hopefully see an exceptional racehorse keep his 100 per cent winning record intact, before going off to stud.
As his trainer William Haggas put it this week: “We’ll look back and think how bloody lucky we were to have him.”
In the opener, the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (1.20pm), I was keen to take on Trueshan after his slightly disappointing run at Doncaster last time out. Eldar Eldarov and Waterville are young improvers but, once again, their cramped odds make me unwilling to part with my hard-earned.
Instead, I am going to put up two horses in other races, both at big prices. The first is TEMPUS, a six-year-old gelding who will be taking on some well-bred and talented sorts despite only costing 25,000 guineas at the sales last year.
He has shown huge improvement for trainer Archie Watson and is now rated on a lofty mark of 117. His last run, a modest third in a Group 2 race at Newmarket, can be explained away because he blew the start and had a troubled passage.
Back him each way, under Hollie Doyle, at 20-1 with bet365 and William Hill for the Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at 3.20pm.
The Qipco Balmoral Stakes at 4.40pm is a wide-open 20-runner handicap over a mile in which lots of horses have had long, hard seasons and some may be over the top as a result.
Orbaan is a horse that has done me some favours this year. Alhough his two wins have been achieved on “good to firm” going, his owner always insists he is better with some cut in the ground. It is likely to be “good to soft” tomorrow.
However, Orbaan has been nibbled at in the market over the past 24 hours and I am reluctantly going to pass on him now the big prices have gone.
Instead, I am going to take a chance on John Quinn’s nine-year-old gelding SAFE VOYAGE, again with Hollie Doyle in the saddle. If he runs as badly as he did in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro Challenge Cup at Ascot just two weeks ago, then our money will be down the pan.
But he ran a cracking race in Ireland the time before when just given too much to do before finishing second to an improving horse, I’m a Gambler, at Leopardstown.
I am hoping that Doyle will hold up this soft-ground-loving horse in a fast-run race and swoop late. Take the 16-1 each way with one of several bookies offering six places, including Sky Bet and bet365. For those, who are willing to be patient, Safe Voyage may drift to a bigger price later in the day but 16-1 is the best odds on offer right now.
As always, if you are enjoying these newsletters, please recommend them to a friend. If you want to drop me a line, my email address is: antepostman1@gmail.com.
One for the horse tracker
Silver Samurai’s hold-up style means he is always going to need luck in running in big-field handicaps. That good fortune was missing last Saturday in the Coral Sprint Trophy at York when he had a troubled passage under Daniel Muscutt. However, the jockey/horse combination did well to weave their way through the field to finish a close third to Strike Red. Silver Samurai, a five-year-old gelding, has gone up 2 lbs in the ratings for that run, to a mark of 99, but he can win a decent sprint handicap either later this season or next off that mark.
Pending:
1 point each way Tempus at 20-1 in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Safe Voyage at 16-1 in the Balmoral Handicap, 1/5 odds, 6 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.
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.
1 point each way Aratus at 12-1 for the National Racehorse Week Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Island Brave at 33-1 for the Old Borough Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. + 41.25
1 point each way Zechariah at 12-1 for the St Leger, 1/5th odds, 3 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
1 point win Gulliver at 16-1 for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bold Lad Sprint at the Curragh, 1/5 odds, 6 places. 6th. +2.2 points.
2 points Fresh at 14-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup. Non Runner. – 2 points.
point each way Gulliver at 33-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Bielsa at 10-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup, 1/5 odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1point each way Legend of Dubai at 16-1 for the Cambridgeshire, 1/4 odds, 4 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
1 point each way Perotto at 33-1 for the Cambridgeshire, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Favorite Moon at 33-1 for the Cesarewitch, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced – 2 points.
1 point each way Rock Eagle at 16-1 for the Cesarewitch, 1/5 odds, 7 places. Non Runner but bet struck at Starting Price so stake retuned. 0 points
1 point each way Vino Victrix at 16-1 for the Cesarewitch, 1/5 odds, 7 places. 2nd. + 2.2 points.
1 point each way Popmaster at 16-1 for the Coral Sprint Trophy, 1/5 odds, 7 places. 7th. Rule 4 of 10p in the pound. + 2 points.
2022 Flat season running total: + 8.81 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).