Affair and Andab can Raid Ascot on Day One June 16, 2025 ROYAL Ascot has come round in a flash, and there’s certainly plenty of speed on show on the opening day, with the Group One King Charles III Stakes (3.40pm) featuring some of the fastest horses on the planet. I put up AMERICAN AFFAIR in this column ahead of his run in the Temple Stakes at [...]
French Master poised to triumph in the Copper Horse June 16, 2025 TUESDAY’S finale, the Copper Horse Stakes (6.10pm) has thrown up a couple of big-price winners in the past five years, but I think the market leader FRENCH MASTER holds extremely sound claims and looks the likely winner. Those donning the blue and gold silks of Wathnan Racing have increasingly become ones to watch, and John [...]
Robot and Joy can Spring Wong into the winners’ circle June 13, 2025 BEWARE of the weather which is going to play an important part in proceedings when racing gets underway at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Saturday with an 11-race card including two races on the all-weather surface. The forecast is dreadful, with heavy showers throughout the day and likely thunderstorms during the action. Young seven-pound [...]
Lightweight Energia to reach the Stars under Teetan June 13, 2025 WITH so many imponderables to weigh up due to rain, surface conditions, and likely track bias – suiting gallopers up with the early pace or finishing strongly – and there is going to be plenty of head-scratching from Hong Kong form students. Maybe ‘patience’ is the key word and to wait for the finale when [...]
The Punter Podcast Episode 34: Chris Barnett Memorial Handicap at Sandown, a couple at York, ante post Royal Ascot and Happy Valley June 11, 2025 Tom Marriott and Bill Esdaile pick out their best bets for the weekend ahead, look forward to paying tribute to the show’s former host, Chris Barnett, at Sandown on Friday, and give a couple of early selections for Royal Ascot. Plus, Wally Pyrah is on hand for the lowdown on Happy Valley in Hong Kong. [...]
Dig up some Royal Ascot Gold with Big Mojo and Flora June 10, 2025 ROYAL Ascot is less than a week away and anticipation is building ahead of the five biggest days in the Flat racing calendar. There’s still plenty of ante-post value to be had in many of the big race markets and the purpose of this column is to put up a few at prices which are [...]
Northern Ticks plenty of boxes with rain set to fall at York June 10, 2025 YORK’s meeting this Saturday could see a major change in the going, with the heavens set to open later this week and up to 20 millimetres of rain expected to hit the track on Friday. This makes ante-post betting slightly more challenging, but there are a few I’ve got my eye on that could shine [...]
Atzeni ready to stay one Step Ahead of his rivals June 10, 2025 WITH just over a month before the Hong Kong racing season ends, expect a big crowd to descend on city track Happy Valley for an exciting midweek nine-race programme, featuring the Class Two Cheung Sha Handicap (2.10pm). There is little doubt that regular bettors in the territory will be in need of a large dose [...]
Chateau looks E-Neuf for Hayes to gain ground in title pursuit June 10, 2025 ANY HOPES trainer David Hayes had of winning another belated trainers’ championship title – he last won back in the 1998/99 season – were probably dashed, when present leader John Size posted another winning double at Sha Tin on Sunday. After visiting the winners’ circle nine times in May, legendary figure Hayes had cut Size’s [...]
Pick Midak to be in Derby mix June 6, 2025 This year’s Derby (Saturday, 3:30pm) is a feast for punters, and maybe best treated like a pick ‘n’ mix with the World Pool in action. With over 25 countries betting into the same pools there’ll be plenty of value and liquidity in the exotic markets, so I’ll take three to put into a Quinella, which [...]