Horse Racing Tips On Wednesday, August 10
There are a super six meetings from the UK and Ireland on Wednesday. Selections in our 13,771/1 Lucky 15 best bets come from Sailsbury, Yarmouth, Beverley and Gowran Park.
Once More For Luck (2.00 Salisbury) 7/2
Ismail Mohammed reported that it was not as much of a shock as the price suggested when ONCE MORE FOR LUCK won at 125/1 at Ffos Las last month.
He had been beaten by 14 lengths on his debut at Leicester, but the son of Kodiac had apparently been working very nicely at home ahead of his follow-up. Sure enough, he got the better of Immortal Beauty by a head and that runner-up did the form no harm at all when winning since.
He was still greater than half that price (66/1) when he went to post for the Super Sprint at Newbury. However, in one of the most hotly contested and coveted juvenile prizes of the season, he ran a grand race down the centre of the track to be seventh where it clearly benefited the winner, Eddie’s Boy, to race down the stands rail.
That was also over a reduced trip of 5f, but he is likely to be better once again back up to 6f. Despite showing that useful form, he is an each-way price under a penalty to deliver once again, but the form of favourites Magical Merlin and Celtic Champion is nothing to run scared from.
Jacovec Cavern (2.50 Yarmouth) 15/2
Despite this being only a maiden, the highest-rated horse in the field is a handy price and surely worth taking a chance on.
Admittedly, the likes of Foursome and Made Of Gold are still yet to achieve a rating, but JACOVEC CAVERN has earned his mark for a reason and can come back to his best now he is back on turf. Mick Channon’s charge still has more to give under ideal conditions.
On his second start, which came over 1m2f at Pontefract, he was a narrow runner-up, finishing ahead of an 88-rated odds-on favourite. The winner that day nearly followed up in a novice event under a penalty, so the form is decent and it may just be that all-weather surfaces have not suited him as well since.
Even so, he was still third in a handicap off a mark of 76 latest and the winner was clearly a blot in the handicap having won by so far. Back in a maiden over what should be a perfect distance, he should challenge each-way.
Bin Hayyan (3.40 Beverley) 6/1
In the highest class race of the day at Beverley, David O’Meara’s BIN HAYYAN can use his course and distance form to his advantage.
The three-year-old won at Ayr as a juvenile last season and that remains his only victory. He very much looks a horse who will only perform at very specific venues, as his form is very hit and miss.
In six of his eight career starts, he has been soundly beaten, but that Ayr success is joined by a neck runner-up finish over today’s track and trip in June. He was defeated by just a neck off this same mark of 74 and there have been excuses since.
He did not cope with a variety of conditions at Epsom and had to carry a 3lb higher mark due to his second-place here when last at York. This small field, coupled with a return to his most successful handicap rating, could see him claim a second career success.
Nebo (6.30 Gowran Park) 28/1
This is a bit of a wild swing at what could be a substantial price, but NEBO won what was effectively this race a year ago and the seven-year-old is just too tempting to repeat.
That is primarily because Tom Hogan’s charge won this off a mark of 99 last term when making all. Fast forward 12 months and he is rated just 88 this time around, a full 11lb lower. It goes without saying that that is a huge drop off.
His form since gives reason to his plummet down the ratings, but he was not uncompetitive in a Listed contest at Cork last September. It is mainly due to an unsuccessful spell in Bahrain, coupled with two heavy defeats in July, that have seen his rating justifiably fall.
However, these conditions suited him so well for a 2¼-length success last year. He simply galloped away on the front end, which is so often the way to race at Gowran Park and there may just be a chance that this has been the aim since returning to Ireland.