Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Wednesday’s racing at Carlisle, Kempton, Bath and York.
Carlisle Park Best Bets
Race 1: LEAPERS WOOD (9)
Trainer: Michael Dods
Jockey: Graham Lee
LEAPERS WOOD brings an array of experience to the table as he reverts to maiden company and can get Carlisle bettors off to a flier. The son of Garswood has earned in all but one of his four career starts and was only just denied on his nursery debut at Nottingham last time. All things considered, one of the newcomers will have to be pretty smart to beat him.
Race 2: AINSDALE (1)
Trainer: Karl Burke
Jockey: Clifford Lee
In the same colours but from a different stable, AINSDALE can cut the mustard and open his account on the way to better things. The fact he started favourite on his Ayr debut indicates he’d shown plenty, and while beating only one home in that five runner affair he stepped upon it with a fine second to Custodian at Pontefract. He has some high profile entries in the weeks ahead.
Kempton Park Best Bet
Race 2: INCLYNE (5)
Trainer: Andrew Balding
Jockey: Oisin Murphy
INCLYNE, sporting the silks made famous by Mill Reef, has a cracking chance to belatedly open her account now switched to the all-weather. The daughter of Intello has proved difficult to win with but is a proven stayer at this mile and a half distance as she showed when finishing second (when well supported) in a Chester handicap last time. With every assistance from the saddle, should hold too many guns for market rival Mojave.
Race 6: SEVERANCE (2)
Trainer: Mick Channon
Jockey: Callum Shepherd
A class drop is the key to the headstrong SEVERANCE who is a bull of a horse that can take a very keen grip. Waiting tactics were employed on his latest start in a hot handicap at Goodwood where he nevertheless burned up most of his energy by pulling and had nothing left in the home straight. Drawn on the outer here, but in a small field, his jockey will probably try to tuck him in for cover on his first Polytrack run.
Bath Best Bets
Race 2: AWEEMAWEH (1)
Trainer: Mick Channon
Jockey: Charles Bishop
Providing he can cope with the drop back to five furlongs, AWEEMAWEH has a great chance to open his account from what at this course is an ideal draw in the middle of the pack. His fourth placing to Ascension at Salisbury is there to be improved on, as the chestnut ran green and wasn’t given a smack with the whip. He’s a son of Bungle Inthejungle, from a speedy family, and should give a good account.
Race 6: ACCOMPLICE (10)
Trainer: Michael Blanchard
Jockey: Charlie Bennett
The mare ACCOMPLICE ticks most of the boxes and appeals as a value Bet at likely double-figure odds. She is now 6lb lower in the weights than when scoring over this course and distance two years ago and more recently was placed at the track on two occasions in June. Ground conditions should also suit her.
York Best Bets
Race 2: VALDERMORO (8)
Trainer: Richard Fahey
Jockey: Tony Hamilton
Eight of the nine participants in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes are previous winners and as there are no collateral formlines it’s a hard one to call. Yorkshire stables field three of the ten runners and the one I like is VALDERMORO. Having run green when beaten on his debut, the colt was a well-backed and most convincing scorer at Doncaster where he powered clear. He’s clearly useful and will give us a value option.
Race 7: HARD NUT(11)
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Ryan Moore
The Hannon stable fields three but although both Malvern and Separate have genuine claims of their own, HARD NUT is the one to be on. Running in the colours of last year’s winner, I thought he was a little unfortunate not to get a lot closer to Homespin in the big nursery at Goodwood. Being held up at that course is not always the best thing, and when extricating himself from a pocket he flew home when it was too late. He has three and three-quarter lengths to abridge with Homespin but on 11lb better terms has an obvious chance of gaining his revenge.
