Four meetings go to post across the UK & Ireland on Sunday, 23rd September, with the action coming from the Curragh, Epsom, Ffos Las and Yarmouth. Our lucky 15 includes a double on the Epsom card, plus our picks for the Apprentice Derby Handicap and the Irish Cesarewitch.
Our expert tipster has produced their best bets across the cards, which make up our advised Sunday Lucky 15.
*Odds correct at time of posting – 1:25pm Saturday 24th September*
Captain Haddock (3.25 Epsom) – 14/1
ICYMI earlier
Henry Main won the Amateur’s Derby aboard Captain Haddock who is owned by his mum & dad Claire & Charles Main in partnership with his godmother Louisa Talbot @EpsomRacecourse
The winner is trained by his auntie Heather Main pic.twitter.com/I4nBzVf1nE
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 30, 2021
The Apprentices’ Derby Handicap looks a competitive affair and we fancy one of the outsiders in the betting – last year’s winner CAPTAIN HADDOCK. He has a healthy strike-rate since joining Heather Main and is down to his lowest mark since bolting up at Hamilton last June.
Having won this last year off a mark of 78, he returns this year off a lowly mark of 73, which gives him a solid chance of repeating last year’s win. He’s been tried over longer trips this year, which hasn’t worked out well, but back over this trip he will feel much more at home. He was comfortably beaten by Saratoga Gold last time out, but he’s now 9lb better off with that rival here (taking the apprentices allowance into account), and that’s enough to potentially reverse that form.
The main danger is likely to be the hat-trick seeking Saratoga Gold, but this is his highest mark of his career, and he’s worth taking on with Captain Haddock, who looks massively overpriced!
Alkhattaaf (3.50 Ffos Las) – 12/1
This is a wide open race, but one we’re keen to take a chance on is ALKHATTAAF. Chris Down’s gelding has run with credit since stepping up to 1m 6f and meets some of those rivals on better terms here, which can see him reverse form with those and hopefully go close.
His first attempt was at Salisbury back in July, where he was beaten five lengths by At The Double. That runner has won twice since to boost that form, and he only finished a short head behind the runner-up Easy Equation, who he’s now 5lb better off with here. He was then comfortably beaten again on his most recent run, but was only just over a length behind With Pleasure, who he’s also 2lb better off with this time.
Georgie Dobie was the last jockey to steer him to victory and she’s back on board here, and she can steer him to a second career victory, at the chief expense of the consistent Copperplate, who won well over C&D last time out.
Echoes In Rain (4.15 Curragh) – 8/1
It’s Mullins at the #GalwayRaces again!
Just about the only big race for amateurs that Patrick Mullins was still to win – and that’s no longer the case as Echoes In Rain takes the @ConnachtHotel Handicap on the opening day @Galway_Races for Bagenalstown – a 1-2-4 for the yard pic.twitter.com/qm43HdnQme
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 25, 2022
Willie Mullins has won three of the last seven renewals of the Irish Cesarewitch and he looks to have a fantastic chance of another winner with ECHOES IN RAIN. She was an impressive winner over a similar trip on reappearance in July and a repeat of that performance will see her go close here.
She kept on well at the Galway Festival to finish clear of plenty of these rivals, including stablemates Maze Runner and Lot Of Joy. Previously she had run over a shorter than suitable trip here, finishing second to Dame Rapide. This trip is much more suitable for her and allows her stamina to be seen to best effect.
Of the rest, stablemate Lot Of Joy could give him most to think about after running well behind the selection at Galway when last seen. But, she will have to step up from that effort and the safer option is Echoes In Rain.
New Pursuit (4.30 Epsom) – 11/2
Benoit De La Sayette @kpfracing
Jockey and trainer now have 6 wins from 12 chances together as New Pursuit (4/1) lands the finale at @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/GxM7IWTG0S
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 19, 2022
NEW PURSUIT ran well in a better race than this earlier this month and dropping back down to class 4 company can see him go better and gain a third win of his career.
He stayed on well in the final stages to get up for second place behind Croupier at Windsor when last seen, and was comfortably clear of Nuvolari, who lines up in this. Benoit De La Sayette was on board for his last victory, which came over C&D back in April, and the top young jockey is back on board again here.
His biggest danger could be Ivan Furtado’s Tickets, who has run with credit in each of his four races so far. However, this will be his biggest test yet stepping up in class, and we’d sooner side with the proven quality of New Pursuit.