Winning Form share all of their best bets and tips for Friday’s racing coming your way from Ascot on 7 April 2023.
Best Bet: FRIAR AWAY (Race 6)
Value Bet: CYWER (Race 7)
Jackpot (race 5 – 8)
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
5 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
7 |
| 5 | 6 |
Cost: R54.00
Race 5
MAKTASTIC has cracked pole position and finished second over this journey three runs back, then ended up in seventh place in his next two outings when stepping up to 2100M and the latest over eleven furlongs, 5.3L behind the winner, but he did race three wide without cover that day which would not have helped his cause. He drops to what appears to be a more suitable distance and he looks to be the one to side with here.
Two 4yr old fillies could chase him home, but IA ORA JEWEL is the marginal second pick. She is seldom far off the action, finishing seventh last time out over seven furlongs, just under three lengths back from the winner, but she was making good late progress in that event, suggesting that the extra ground on offer here will be to her liking. She is drawn the widest of them all in gate nine, but she should be doing her best work late.
WICKED FOX’S last three runs have yielded two seconds and a third-place finish, the latest one of those seconds over a mile, two and a half lengths back from the winner, but she had to come five wide into the home straight and hung in all the way down the home straight, so she had her excuses. She stayed on well over the latter stages and is another that the extra distance will suit. From her handy draw four, she should be involved in the finish.
Race 6
FRIAR AWAY goes for his hat-trick after two victories over eleven furlongs, the latest by just under a half-length. He delivered a powerful finish over the closing stages to win going away and he is sure to put his pole position to good use and as such, is made the best bet on the day’s card.
CRUISEY ROY came four wide into the home stretch but battled all the way down to the wire when finishing fifth last time out over eleven furlongs, just under three and a half lengths off the victor. He is drawn in gate five and could emerge as the biggest danger to the top choice.
CHUCK A LUCK renews his rivalry with the top pick after finishing seventh last out in the race mentioned above, just over three lengths behind. He has finished closer to the winner in each of his last three starts and as he is 3kgs better off at today’s weights, there may not be too much separating the pair when they hit the line. His draw four will do him no harm.
Race 7
Two 4yr old fillies could fight out the finish to this race and complete the exacta, but the day’s value bet, CYWER is taken to lead the field home. She followed up his penultimate run victory over seven furlongs with a sixth-place finish next time out over 1500M, three lengths back from the winner. She came five wide into the home straight that day but finished well from some way back. From gate five and with her having 3kg taken off her back thanks to her claiming apprentice, she could prove hard to topple.
FLOWER IN THE WIND also won her penultimate start, but in her case over 1500M and then went on to finish third next time out when stepping up to eleven furlongs, just over a half-length behind the winner, but she did jump awkwardly on that occasion. Her pole position is a plus.
HERE FOR CHEQUES is another who won his penultimate outing, in his case over seven furlongs and then raced three wide without cover next time out, finishing third over a mile, just over a half-length back from the victor. He struck the front at the 200M pole and was only run out of it late. The gelding has pulled gate seven and should be right up there when they hit the line.
Race 8
SENORITA DOROTEA is a 4yr old filly taking on the boys, but she has finished second in her last two outings, the latest over five furlongs, beaten just a head, after coming three wide approaching the home straight, but finishing off her race well. She has a useful draw three and could provide jockey Chris Parnham with a double in the day’s jackpot, should the top choice win the opening leg.
BORN TO TALK has consistent formlines to his name and hit the running rail at the 1000M mark before finishing third last time out over six furlongs, 0.7L behind the winner. From gate six, the gelding should turn in another honest performance today.
DESERT VIXEN is another 4yr old filly in the race. She had finished second in her two runs prior to ending up in fifth spot last time out over six furlongs, just under five lengths adrift of the winner, but she raced three wide without cover on that occasion, so that effort can be forgiven. She will have to overcome a wide draw ten, but on the plus side, she will get 1.5kgs removed from her allocated weight courtesy of her claiming apprentice.
