10.45am Royal Ascot winner Hawkbill will head for Eclipse
Tony Paley: Godolphin have annoinced that Hawkbill is to be supplemented for Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old has won each of his last five starts, the most recent coming in the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot and connections feel he is ready for a step up in class into Group One company.
John Ferguson, Godolphin’s chief executive and racing manager, said: “Charlie is very happy with how Hawkbill has been training since Ascot. He is taking a step up, but we feel he deserves to take his chance.”
Godolphin last won the Eclipse in 2004 with Refuse To Bend.
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
There can’t be many tracks in the country that are currently good to firm but that’s the situation at Pontefract, making me think this might be another good day for front-runners that can bag the rail and set a sustainable pace or follow it closely. Such a horse may be Hit The Lights (3.05), available at 7-1 for the sprint handicap.
This six-year-old has a fair strike-rate on turf and has already scored twice since joining Dandy Nicholls for this season, both times with Danielle Mooney aboard. He managed to beat a small field at Catterick despite missing the kick but I hope he doesn’t do that here because, with 14 rivals and an inside run being a major help, his chance would go up in smoke immediately.
But it looks like that was a one-off and I still think he’s handicapped to win when things fall right. His draw in stall two will help, as will the withdrawal of Coiste Bodhar, who may have taken him along faster than he really needs to go.
There’s 3-1 about Wotabreeze (2.00), who has the excellent Serena Brotherton aboard in the race for female amateur jockeys. John Quinn’s chestnut has form figures of 212 since going handicapping and was beaten only by a very well treated rival last time. He seems to have recovered quickly from the stiffness that caused him to be withdrawn by a vets’ certificate three days ago.
At Musselburgh tonight, I’ll take 9-4 about Tonto’s Spirit (7.10), who has improved enormously since joining Kenneth Slack, landing a novice hurdle and then a race over this course and distance a fortnight ago. The extra 4lb does not look like stopping him.
Tipping competition - a new week
Congratulations to Mai11, who won last week’s competition on a final score of +32.25 following a 9-4 winner on Friday. Alas, she cannot use the tickets to Sandown on Saturday but has allowed me to offer them to the runner-up, mycopia23 (+24). Mycopia, I’ve asked our community moderators to approach you by email.
This week’s prize is a copy of the much-praised Mr Darley’s Arabian, by Chris McGrath, who used to turn out high-quality prose about horse racing for the Weekender, the Times and the Independent. This is a history of our sport, described in an Observer review as offering “a teeming, colourful survey” of its many stories, drawing on “a cast that takes in aristocrats and nouveaux riches, playboys and industrialists, Smithfield meat salesmen and the rulers of Dubai”, according to a press release from the publishers. If you don’t win, you can buy it here.
To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 3.40 Pontefract, 7.55 Windsor, 8.10 Musselburgh.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.