Saturday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for Saturday’s ITV racing and has all the biggest gambles landed up and down the land through the week
Don't miss out on the best and most hilarious takes on this week's racing from our resident Trackman, Andy Ayres.
SOMETIMES race-planning is as difficult to fathom as Donald Trump’s barnet.
On Wednesday we had meetings at Lingfield, Kempton, Newbury and Plumpton – all southern courses within a jogger’s workout of each other.
The man with the plan clearly doesn’t have an A-level in geography and his efforts left the four tracks in question with the sort of crowd you find at a Theresa May fan club meeting.
This - just like Brexit - was a mess that should have been avoided.
Ride of the week was Bryony Frost’s never say die effort to get little Midnight Bliss home at Fontwell on Monday.
The pair looked beaten half a dozen times in the straight, but stuck on better than a limpet with superglue to edge home in front.
Punters received a size 12 where it hurts when Richard Johnson was unseated as the tapes went up on well backed jolly Umndeni (10-11 to 1-2) in the maiden hurdle here.
The finish was fought out by a pair of unfathomable rags, but that didn’t matter a jot to one lucky lady punter who jumped out of her wellies after netting £1250 for a 50p reverse exacta.
Now you don’t get those returns down at the Nationwide!
HOTTEST IN HORSE RACING
Tom O’Brien wasn’t quite so chipper after a desperate afternoon over the sticks at Lingfield on Tuesday.
He was hauled in by the stewards after giving Perfect Moment a ridiculously quiet ride in the opening novice hurdle, then copped a seven day ban when failing to weigh-in on well backed Shaw’s Cross (11-4 to 9-4) in a hot two miler.
Trainer Conrad Allen has been known to land a tickle and was bang on the money with Busby (9-4 to 11-8) in the 6f handicap at Kempton’s evening meeting.
It felt like a team of miners were shovelling money on this one near the off, and he was always in control after main danger Compas Scoobie came into the straight via the Silver Ring under Richard Kingscote.
Talking of moderate rides, Ryan Moore hardly excelled on well fancied jolly King Robert in a sprint handicap at Kempton on Wednesday.
He raced wide round the bend, engaged reverse in the straight and then reported the horse felt flat.
Plenty of trackside punters felt the same about the former champ’s ride.
Sir Mark Prescott’s horses have been well bet over the last couple of weeks and there was plenty of dosh for his Battle Of Paradise (20-1 to 11-2) in the mile maiden on this card.
The horse travelled like a good’un and was a massive eye-catcher finishing second.
He’ll improve plenty and give the double shrewd Baronet plenty of fun.
Best wishes go out to mighty atom Spare Parts who was retired after pulling-up lame at Lingfield on Wednesday.
The little horse won seven times in three months last winter and was a proper heart-on-sleeve trier.
Trackman's Saturday Selection
JERRYSBACK (1.30 Haydock) chased a top novice home at Ascot last time and should be too good for this small field.
Alan King’s REDICEAN (2.00) was massively impressive at Lingfield a month ago and should follow up this afternoon, while JERRYSBACK (1.30) will be hard to beat in the novice chase up at Haydock.
Barry Geraghty got some mighty leaps out of him at Ascot last time and should be able to boss this small field.