ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN
Well as many of you will have worked out by now, I have stayed on in Tokyo for a bit of a holiday and to see the sights (and eat the food, obviously), so this week we have one of my shortest articles ever, though with a double whammy from Hong Kong next week (preview and review), I feel I deserve a little down time.
Before we get to the weekend’s contests, good news to see that here in the UK the petition to do away with affordability checks has passed the 100,000 mark and will now have to be heard by parliament. This is, of course, a good thing, but meanwhile the bookmakers continue to ride rough shod over all and sundry asking for bank statements, P60’s, payslips, and all bar a pint of blood before they will let you withdraw any of your winnings – funny how they weren’t quite so bothered when we were depositing or losing – yet somehow they still walk out of this smelling of roses – go figure (there time will come)?
Enough politics (for this week – no promises after that) – and on to the three races I am coving for Saturday afternoon – not as many as some would like, but if we have a winner or two, all will be good in the World of racing at least….
Firstly, its pretty much odds on that one or more cards will be lost this Saturday thanks to the weather, and that is the sole reason I have gone for a horse from three different meetings – in the hope that all my work will not have been totally in vain.
Newbury 2.50pm
Once more into the breach we go dear friends as I am 100% convinced that Ahoy Senor will win another big race some day, and I am frightened it will be when I don’t tip him or back him – we all know that feeling, right? Lucinda Russell has put on a brace face since he was pulled up at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall after making a couple of errors but we all know that on his day he is a class act. He does have to carry top-weight here which must be why he is as big a price as he is (18/1 as I write), but if he can get into a rhythm I doubt they travel this far south without good reason, and a place would pay for the weekends beers if nothing else.
Newcastle 12.10pm
All eyes here will be on both the amazing Constitution Hill and the naughty but talented Shishkin, but one is too short and the other comes with risks attached, so I prefer to speculate elsewhere. Coastal Rock will be the poor beast carrying the added weight of my pound coin as Harry Fry sends the once raced bumper fourth over hurdles for the first time in the 12.10pm where I am hoping for better things. Well supported at Wincanton when sent off the 9/4 joint second favourite in April, he was beaten eight lengths at the line when looking as if the experience would do him the world of good. Related to numerous French winners both on the Flat and over jumps, he is a work in progress who has a bright future ahead of him, though a win first time out this season is certainly not beyond his abilities with a clear round.
Doncaster 3.16pm
On a weekend that might be best labelled “I probably shouldn’t” word reaches me that newcomer Opera King has an engine ahead of his debut in the Doncaster bumper that rounds off the card at 3.16pm. I am quietly confident when I say that he had loftier ambitions when bought as a yearling for 100,000 Guineas in October 2021, but then again as a son of multiple Group One and Epsom Derby winner Australia related to numerous winners, Doncaster in December was unlikely to be on his agenda. As it is he didn’t see a racecourse for Andrew Balding and has switched to new owners and the in-form Nigel Twiston-Davies for a new career, but if he can use all or any of his built in Flat speed here, he could still be a force to reckon with.
Sean’s Suggestion:
Coastal Rock each way 12.10pm Newcastle
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