UK Racing Best Bets On Tuesday, August 16
Tuesday is a feast for lovers of the all-weather, with three meetings coming on artificial surfaces at Chelmsford, Kempton and Wolverhampton. Meanwhile, the one turf card is held at Hamilton and the Scottish track and Kempton are responsible for the selections in our 16,739/1 Lucky 15 best bets.
Oriental Dancer (2.00 Kempton) 6/1
There are plenty of interesting newcomers in this fillies’ novice stakes, but while the form of those who have already appeared is not spectacular on the whole, one horse may be underrated based on her debut.
That filly is Richard Hannon’s ORIENTAL DANCER, who ran for the first time at Glorious Goodwood. To make her debut at that meeting alone is a sign of confidence from the yard and while she ultimately found that too tough (finished seventh), there were opponents in that race who had already taken up Group level assignments.
A mid-division finish was perfectly acceptable and despite Goodwood usually favouring front-runners, there were not a load who benefitted from such tactics that week. With that being her first run, there is likely to be a great deal of improvement next time out.
As long as adapting to the all-weather proves no problem, she is well in with a chance of upsetting those above her in the market.
Kilconquhar (3.15 Hamilton) 14/1
Mark’s Choice is very interesting turned out again so quickly after a fine run in the Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon on Saturday.
The three-day turnaround might be a slight issue, but he is 10lb lower having raced out of the handicap at the weekend. That he was still third was impressive, albeit he was drawn well for such an effort.
Nevertheless, his best form has regularly come at that Yorkshire venue. WIth plenty of rivals having gone well at Hamilton before, KILCONQUHAR is preferred. The five-year-old is on his lowest mark of the season and has already raced four times at the track this term.
He has twice been second by a neck over course and distance in those runs, both off a 1lb higher mark. On those efforts, he is weighted to run very well, so while he may not be the most consistent, he is reliable at this venue more often than not.
Wild Lion (3.30 Kempton) 13/2
Out From Under should be winning soon having gone close against useful opposition the last twice. However, there is the strong possibility of an upset, with Godolphin’s WILD LION back on the all-weather.
The four-year-old son of the ill-fated The Last Lion has run six times in his career so far, two each in every year from 2020. Both his wins came on artificial surfaces in 2021, when he got off the mark at Newcastle and then scored on handicap debut at the same track the following month.
His return this season saw him go off favourite at Leicester, but he hung badly when in with a big chance of completing his hat-trick. Then, at Goodwood, he was only 11th of 18, but Frankie Dettori went very easy on him late on having loomed up with a chance two furlongs out.
Once again, Saeed bin Suroor’s charge did not look as though he put maximum effort into his final burst and a first-time visor may well sharpen him up. This could well be the venue for his return to form.
Lochnaver (5.20 Hamilton) 12/1
Again, there is a slight reliance here on an inconsistent sort at Hamilton, but LOCHNAVER has rarely been campaigned under her ideal conditions by Jim Goldie.
Her trainer has the admirably versatile Euchen Glen, but may have too often tried this filly over varying distances. In sveen runs since joining from Iain Jardine, she has only run one particularly good race, when scoring here over 1m3f last month. Otherwise, she has not finished higher than sixth.
That said, four of the seven races she has contested have been at shorter than 1m1f, while it is also clear that she has not shown her best at Musselburgh, the venue for two of her three runs at around 1m4f. The other was her success here off a mark of 46, for which she is only 4lb higher.
Over 1m4f here, she should be seen to her best. That might not equate to loads, but this is not a strong contest and she is worth chancing.