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Tanya Stevenson's Racing UK Blog |
| Saturday 6th September 2014 |
Palmer can be the Punters’ Pal once more
What a card at Haydock on Saturday and there are tons of runners too, which is a bonus! There is plenty to complement the Betfred Sprint Cup meeting with Ascot, Kempton, Thirsk all live on plus an almighty Scoop6 pot to play for!
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As for the Sprint Cup the inclusion of Sole Power adds that little bit of something extra due the heroic effort when encountering equine traffic in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York last month. Yet the poser for us all – can he finally win over six furlongs? He has only tried the distance seven times, and on four of those occasions it was in Group One class.
10/1 Sole Power in The Betfred Sprint Cup
Betfair New customers Only.
Sole Power packs a potent finishing kick within a five-furlong contest, whether he retains such energy to do the same over a furlong further we are about to discover once and for all.
After raving over Music Master’s similar win at Newbury he looked to have a chance but that was before Sole Power was declared in preference to stablemate Slade Power.
Add to that last year’s winner Gordon Lord Byron, who glided home 12 months ago, Cougar Mountain who may be better over this trip and many other top sprinters it is phenomenal line-up of 17.
Considering the form Hugo Palmer is enjoying his Extremity is well worth following at Thirsk in the 3.40.
It has been a surreal week with racing continuing to fight itself. It is alarming that the BHA waited so long before preventing Newcastle to kick on with their plans of having an All-Weather surface.
Surely awareness of the ruling which eventually became the sticking point could have been given clarity before plans progressed so far.
I feel for the on-course bookmakers, who bought pitches at Towcester valued for 17 meetings, not for ten. The racecourse is selling seven of its fixtures to cater for greyhound meetings, as they cannot clash. There is no reason, in my view, why they cannot have horses in the afternoon and dogs in the evening - look at Dundalk, which is a great template. The bookmakers cannot sell their pitches now at the same worth.
Outside of racing the countdown to the Ryder Cup gathers pace after the final selections were made this week by opposing captains Tom Watson and Paul McGinley.
The dynamic of this wonderful event is so different from a four-round tournament and if you are pitching in with a wager its important you give this the utmost consideration.
Playing the various formats, matchplay, foursomes, four balls all have their specialists. Getting the rapport between the pairings is crucial. Wouldn’t it be fascinating to see fiery characters Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed paired up!
The NFL season is underway and I stayed up to watch the Seattle Seahawks kick off the season and duly dispatch the Green Bay Packers this round. The 9-2 for Seattle to win the Superbowl is now looking enormous. However my heart is with the New Orleans Saints so I’ll wait to see the full results of week one games to be played.
The New England Patriots for the AFC Championship are my other fancies, and the Baltimore Ravens looked big at 11-4 to top the AFC North with William Hill.
I was stunned, shocked, gutted, and disappointed to learn the news that Wes Welker (the owner of July Cup contender Undrafted who was recovering from concussion so could have missed the first game anyway) has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the policy of performance enhancing substances. I look forward to seeing the reaction to his return and whether he’ll be signed up for Denver for another season.
Tanya Stevenson's Saturday tips:
1.55 Ascot: Cornrow
3.40 Thirsk: Extremity
Tanya Stevenson's Saturday pointers:
Betfred Sprint Cup:
Eight of the last ten winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup had raced outside Britain and Ireland. Caspar Netscher, Gordon Lord Byron, Maarek, Sole Power, Extortionist.
Ten of the last 20 winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup ran in Deauville’s Prix Maurice de Gheest in their career. Gordon Lord Byron & Caspar Netscher
Only five of the last 20 favourites have won the Betfred Sprint Cup
Ten of the last 20 winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup had won over 7f (15 had finished no worse than fourth over 7f)
Only four of the last ten winners (or 8 since 1994) of the Betfred Sprint Cup had a victory in a Group One on their CV
17 of the last 20 winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup finished in the first four last time
Only four winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup since 2000 had run in the July Cup: (2000 Pipalong 3rd, 2007 Red Clubs 3rd, 2011 Dream Ahead won, 2012 Society Rock 3rd). Tropics, Cougar Mountain, Hot Streak, Moviesta, Astaire.
In 2006 Reverence completed the Nunthorpe/Sprint Cup double
Of the eight winners since 1994 to have taken in the July Cup, seven of them had finished in the first three at Newmarket. Tropics who was second in the July Cup
Since 1994 only five winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup had run in the previous year’s Sprint Cup. Gordon Lord Byron defends his crown.
Sixteen of the last 20 winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup had won at least one race in the current campaign.
Seven of the last eight winners of the Betfred Sprint Cup had taken in Royal Ascot.
Over the last 20 years, 70 three-year-olds have run in the Betfred Sprint Cup, five have won (2011 Dream Ahead, 2008 African Rose, 2005 Goodricke, 2003 Somnus, 1999 Tamarisk). Astaire, Cougar Mountain, Extortionist, G Force and Hot Streak.
The only winners aged six or over to win the Betfred Sprint Cup since 1966 are 1977 Bold Boy, 2001 Nuclear Debate, 2010 Markab. Dinkum Diamond, Gordon Lord Byron, Maarek, Sole Power, Tropics.
Old Borough Cup:
Eight of the last ten winners of the Old Borough Cup were drawn eight or higher (the last five were drawn 10 or higher).
Six of the 13 favourites have won the Old Borough Cup.
In the Old Borough Cup all but two finished in the first four on their most recent run (Bauer 2011 & Sir Graham Wade in 2012)
Seven of the last ten winners of Haydock’s 2.40 came from the first three in the betting
Roger Charlton has won Haydock’s 2.40 with each of his last two runners
(2012 Thistle Bird, 2010 Cityscape)
Seven of the last ten winners of Haydock’s 2.05 had run in either the Great St Wilfrid or the Beverley Bullet that season just Confessional today who has won the race in 2010 & 2013
Seven of the last ten winners of Haydock’s 2.05 had finished no better than sixth on their most recent run
Cat O’Mountain has won all four of his runs at Kempton and runs in the 2.20pm.
Robin Hoods Bay has won three of his eight runs at Kempton (AW).
Lawmans Thunder has won three of his four runs at Kempton.
Si Senor has won three of his six runs at Kempton.
Don’t Call Me has run 13 times at Ascot, winning 3, second once and third twice andj runs in the 3.30pm.
