Ten picks on a Saturday is a proper day’s work, and half of them come from one track. Redcar is where we have found most to like, with five runners spread across the card from just before three o’clock through to the last. Fast ground up there suits the type of horse we follow, quick, consistent and proven at the trip.
The Curragh gives us our biggest bet of the day. Al Riffa goes in the 4:25 and carries three points, which tells you how strongly we fancy him. Later on the same card, Seven Nation Army looks the ideal profile for the 5:00 sprint handicap. He races off an easing weight, and while a 61-day break is the obvious question mark, his yard is striking at 36 per cent, which goes a long way to answering it.
Back at Redcar, Billy Bathgate in the 2:58 is a bet built on simple logic. He drops into Class 6 after a string of near misses against stronger rivals, several of whom have since gone and won. He is consistent at this trip on fast ground and has only three opponents to beat. Later, Finally Escaped in the 5:17 brings the best recent speed figures in the field and a progressive profile. She won only two days ago on similar ground, and a repeat of that effort makes her very hard to stop. In between, Criminal Shore at 8.0 in the 3:33 is the each-way angle. His finishing positions hide how well he has been running, the form of those defeats has worked out, and Daniel Tudhope goes well at the track. Be Patient and Talking In Kode complete the Redcar hand.
Newton Abbot offers just the one, but it comes from a stable that fires in the winners there. Muskerry Rock won last time in the 4:50 division, has course and distance form, and the two seconds between his wins came in races that have worked out well. At Stratford, Whatyouwaitingfor opens the day for us at 2:15, with Sir Tivo the longshot of the card at 9.0 in the 3:58.
Yesterday was a good one. Two winners from five, with Act Of Violence landing at 4.33 and No More Bolero obliging at 2.38, while Dark Thirty and Prince Quattro both hit the frame at double-figure prices or close to it. Momentum is with us. Redcar will decide whether it carries into Sunday.