Four Horses Worthy of a Flutter on a Busy Saturday
There is a great mix of racing action on Saturday. At Ayr, the four-mile Scottish Grand National is the highlight of an eight-race card that also features the Scottish Champion Hurdle and a Grade-2 Champion Novices’ Chase.
At the other end of the country and racing on the flat, Newbury stages its Spring Trials meeting. Here, 1000 Guineas clues could be forthcoming in the Fred Darling Stakes. There may also be a classic contender or two on display in the Greenham Stakes, a race famously won by Frankel in 2011.
Frankel bursts clear to win the 2011 Greenham Stakes. Will there be another classic winner in this year’s race? ©GettyImages
Thirsk, Brighton, and Nottingham also stage flat meetings, as does Navan and Limerick in Ireland. The scheduled 58 races between 12.55 pm and 8.00 pm means there is no shortage of betting opportunities and is one of the biggest sports betting markets of the day. Read our thoughts on four horses that could enter the winners’ enclosure during the day.
It Doesn’t Take a Genius
Monbeg Genius is currently disputing favoritism for the 2024 Aintree Grand National. The Jonjo O’Neil-trained seven-year-old is fancied to justify his odds with success in the 2023 Scottish version (due off at 3.35 pm) staged over a slightly shorter four miles.
His last outing was in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival where, in finishing third, Monbeg Genius showed he was ready for a step-up in trip. That race was won by Corach Rambler, the horse that went on to win the Grand National last weekend.
A sound jumper that has not made an error in five chase starts (winning three), Monbeg Genius looks to have an outstanding chance of making the frame in the ITV televised race. The leading horse racing sportsbooks will accept place-only bets but, for each-way punters and brave win-only players, tempting 5/1 odds are on offer.
We need more segments set to bagpipes! 🏴🎶
📍 Scottish Grand National 🗓 Saturday 📺 @ITV#ITVRacing | @ayrracecourse pic.twitter.com/kzL85F9p9J
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 19, 2023
Zoo’s 20/1 Too Big Given Ferguson’s Figures
Newmarket trainer James Ferguson has his string in red-hot form. During the past fortnight, his yard has had ten runners, five have won, an additional three were placed, and all winning SPs have ranged between 3/1 and 8/1.
Given his stable’s fine form Zoology, a runner in the Greenham at Newbury (2.40 pm), has to be of interest. He is pitched into a hot contest with Chaldean, a winner at Group-3, Group-2, and Group-1 level (in the Dewhurst) in the field and at the head of the market.
Knight, unbeaten in two starts and a winner at Group-2 level, also lines up. Streets Of Gold, with a sequence of five wins, is another eye-catching entry. So, Zoology has plenty to beat, but unlike many of his rivals, he has had a recent outing.
Ferguson clearly likes his charge and ran him in the Group-1 Middle Park on the second of his three career outings. At Grosvenor’s 20/1, given the form of his trainer – 24 winners and placed runners from just 39 starters – everything suggests Zoology represents a touch of value as an each-way proposition.
Archie’s First Turf Juvenile Runner a Likely Winner
Luke Morris, the 2022 Arc de Triomphe winning rider, misses Newbury’s high-profile card. Instead, he will take seven rides at Brighton’s matinee meeting. He should enjoy a fruitful evening and can hit the scoresheet relatively early into proceedings.
At 5.15 pm, he rides Archie Watson’s Dreadpirateroberts, an unraced juvenile in a maiden stake. Watson is renowned for his handling of two-year-olds and their ability to win on debut. This will be his first two-year-old turf runner of the season, but his two juvenile runners on the all-weather surface both won on debut.
With 40 two-year-olds in his yard, Watson will know his ducks from his swans. Dreadpirateroberts will have doubtlessly shown enough on the home gallops to suggest he can make a winning debut and take his stables record with youngsters to three from three.
Joseph to Harvest Another Winner?
In Ireland, Joseph O’Brien can land his fourth Vintage Crop Stakes (4.35 pm Navan) in five years. His representative, Okita Soushi, has displayed his well-being with a pair of recent victories on Dundalk’s all-weather surface.
The top-rated horse in the contest, Bolshoi Ballet looked like a shadow of his former self on his recent reappearance after a year off the track. Another rival, Sunchart has won just one of 21 career starts.
Okita Soushi has plenty going for him – not least fitness – and with question marks over many of his rivals, he is the obvious choice in this popular 14-furlong contest named after Ireland’s first and most memorable Melbourne Cup winner.
