Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips from Friday’s racing at Yarmouth, Doncaster, Chester, Newcastle and Newmarket.
Yarmouth Best Bet
Race 1: TEXTING (4)
Trainer: Mohamed Moubarak
Jockey: Seamus Cronin
The key to this is a step back to the minimum trip by TEXTING who has been far too free racing over six furlongs. The filly is proving a model of consistency and should prefer this better ground, having been caught out by the heavy conditions at this course last time.
Doncaster Best Bets
Race 4: FOX LEICESTER (1)
Trainer: Andrew Balding
Jockey: Silvestre de Sousa
Typical of a 3yo handicap the weights are tightly compressed and the fact that FOX LEICESTER has to give away weight all round shouldn’t deter backers from supporting him to follow up a hugely impressive Sandown win. Underfoot conditions are set to get quicker which will suit the selection, who has the champion jockey in the irons.
Race 5: THE VERY MOON (8)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute
Jockey: Richard Kingscote
There was much to like about THE VERY MOON‘s debut second to La Lune at Salisbury where she got the hang of things after the birds had flown. She hails from a family stock full of winners and can live up to that tradition by getting the better of Merry Vale on the way to better things.
Chester Best Bets
Race 2: KING’S CAPER (4)
Trainer: Mark Johnston
Jockey: Franny Norton
KING’S CAPER tried to go wire to wire in soft ground on his debut at Sandown, weakening close home to be beaten a length and threequarters into fourth of five by Shared Belief. The form was given a boost of sorts when the only horse he beat, Vulcan, ran well in what looked a good race at Salisbury on Wednesday. Granted normal progression King’s Caper can open his account.
Race 6: CONUNDRUM (5)
Trainer: Jedd O’Keeffe
Jockey: Joe Garrity
With stamina no problem to him but offering a question mark against some of his rivals, CONUNDRUM can make this a third win from four outings this season. He was gaminess personified when landing a Class 5 at Leicester and his stable has its horses in good order. This is a step up the handicap ladder but he should be up to the task.
Newcastle Best Bets
Race 3: TARBOOSH (6)
Trainer: Paul Midgley
Jockey: Kevin Scott
The featured Gosforth Park Cup sees a plethora of collateral form lines but the one with as strong claims as any is TARBOOSH even though this is his first run on the all-weather this year. He was a big eyecatcher on heavy ground at Haydock earlier in the month when attracting on course support, and from his midfield draw his jockey has options.
Race 6: TURJOMAAN (2)
Trainer: Roger Varian
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Completely no back from a lengthy absence, TURJOMAAN was impressive when last seen on this surface, bolting up over the course and distance. There’s a classy look to him and he can make short work of his foes before moving on to better and bigger things.
Newmarket Best Bets
Race 6: OJOOBA (6)
Trainer: Owen Burrows
Jockey: Dane O’Neill
Many fingers were burned on OJOOBA on the Rowley course here in April when she was a beaten favourite, failing to find another gear running out of the Dip. She’s been given plenty of time to progress from that effort and is sure to benefit from this step up to a mile.
Race 7: SETTING SAIL (4)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
After dotting up on his return from a lengthy absence in a Wolverhampton maiden, SETTING SAIL has performed well in two hot handicaps at Ascot and Epsom and came home with excuses from his latest run. McEvoy is riding with the panache we’ve always associated him with and a return to winning ways looks on the cards.
