Night Carnation will be hard to beat in Scurry Stakes for in-form Balding
WITH Royal Ascot on the horizon, unsurprisingly this weekend’s racing action isn’t the hottest. But that isn’t to say that there aren’t some good betting opportunities to try to get some money in the bank ahead of next week.
Sandown hosts a competitive card tomorrow and the highlight is the Listed Scurry Stakes at 3.30pm. Andrew Balding has been in excellent form and his NIGHT CARNATION is going to take an awful lot of beating. She won over course and distance on her seasonal reappearance in April, comfortably beating tomorrow’s rival Ahtoug when conceding 8lb. The Godolphin runner went on to win well at Chester’s May meeting, but he now has to concede 5lb to the selection, so surely can’t turn that form around.
A bigger danger is Dinkum Diamond, who won last season’s National Stakes here, but he was firmly put in his place by Elzaam at Newbury last time and has to concede 8lb to Balding’s filly. Margot Did is talented on her day, but is frustratingly difficult to win with, so Night Carnation is a confident selection.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Balding celebrating a double, as his MON CADEAUX must have a big chance in the preceding handicap at 2.55pm. He bounced back to form at Chester last time when he was mugged on the line by Our Jonathan. He is 2lb better off with that rival tomorrow and I expect him to reverse the form. Last year’s winner Crown Choice is an obvious danger, but he is 10lb higher than 12 months ago.
York sees the return of Sir Michael Stoute’s one-time Derby fancy Sea Moon in the 3.50pm and he is certain to start a short price. He could be head and shoulders above this lot, but I’m going to take him on with Tim Easterby’s MARIACHI MAN each-way. The selection has never run beyond a mile, but this step up to 1m2f is bound to suit and the yard is flying at the moment.
The Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg of America’s Triple Crown, takes place tomorrow night and Aidan O’Brien can become the first Irish trainer to win it since Dermot Weld in 1990. MASTER OF HOUNDS ran a stormer to finish fifth in the Kentucky Derby and although some would argue that his draw in stall one is a negative, he’s a hold-up horse who will be running on at the finish. I actually quite fancied him for the Derby, so he’s worth an interest at the widely available 6/1.
For those of you looking for a bet this afternoon, don’t miss David Nicholls’ CADEAUX PEARL in York’s five furlong sprint at 4.25pm. He ran at Windsor on Monday night, but went off far too quick and was eventually reeled in. Conditions were against him then, but he should appreciate this big field and could be well drawn in stall 16. The Nicholls stable is coming back to form and it could be worth adopting a back-to-lay strategy on Betdaq as he will set a scorching gallop and could well trade much shorter than his SP.
Finally, don’t miss Richard Hannon’s PUTTINGONTHESTYLE in the 6.45pm at Goodwood this evening. He was unlucky not to break his maiden tag at Windsor and this looks a very weak race. He’s wearing a first-time visor and it would be a surprise if he doesn’t finally break his duck.
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