Friday, 27th May 2022
It’s Friday – that time of the week when I put on my tin hat, stick my head above the parapet, and do my level best to dig out genuine dark horses in the top-level handicaps….
…. ‘live’ contenders that are overlooked or underestimated in the betting….
…. contrarian selections that go against consensus market opinion….
…. or – in other words – the right kind of horses trading at the wrong prices….
It’s Epsom next week. Royal Ascot is on the horizon. There’s a busy summer ahead – and a quiet weekend on the handicap front offers the chance to take a breather….
There’s just the one race of betting interest for me tomorrow – the C2 Betfred Double Delight Handicap for 4yo+ over the 12f trip at 2.20. Thirteen are expected at post….
The 4yo’s Forza Orta and Contact are the top two in the betting – bringing decent recent form to the party. Mahrajaan is also 4 and sits just behind them – highly progressive last term but first-time-up tomorrow….
The one for me is HMS PRESIDENT at the 9s & 8s….
He needed a couple of runs last season before producing a burst of smart performances – a sequence of races in which he finished 2nd on three occasions….
He’s already had a couple of runs last term – and he certainly needed the first of those at Musselburgh…
Last time at Ascot was more promising – he finished 4th of 16th beaten 6-lengths in a C3 handicap….
He was a big market mover on the day. And – whilst he got beat – he showed plenty of encouraging signs. Not least the fact that he stuck to his task and kept on….
On last year’s evidence, he will strip fitter still for that last run and – on a mark of 88 – he’s just 3lbs in advance of his last winning mark….
Each-way backers take note: Sky Bet and Betway are 1/5 the first 5. It’s 1/5 the first 4 generally….
Nick’s Dark Horse….To recap on my idea of the dark horses capable of running big races at tasty prices in the big handicaps tomorrow afternoon…. In the Betfred Double Delight Handicap (2.20 @ Haydock)….
Advised prices are correct at the time my column is submitted for publication. But prices are subject to fluctuation. There’s nothing I can do about that. Be sure to consult Oddschecker – you may find a quote better than advised…. |
That’s all for today. Back next time. Meanwhile….
Anything to report? Anything to say? Anything to share? Contact me at: nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk
Stay tuned.
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