Top tipster Andrew Mount has five bets across four races on Thursday
ASTRONOMIC CHOICE – (1.00 Carlisle, 0.5pt each-way – 25/1)
They went hard up front in the Cumberland Plate Handicap over trip and track last month, with five of the first six home coming from well off the pace. ASTRONOMIC CHOICE (‘chased leader’) raced closer to the early pace and ran better than his 40-1 seventh of 13 suggested.
He hung left in the closing stages – as he had done when a respectable 125-1 fifth of 12 here in maiden company on his reappearance – and I was hoping they’d give him a crack at another venue for his next outing. However, he still warrants a small interest at a big price.
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TEMPLE BRUER – (3.00 Newmarket, 1pt each-way – 25/1)
A high draw has been no barrier to success in this race in previous years and Ed Walker’s three-year-old TEMPLE BRUER (stall 20 of 20) is two from two on fast ground since gelded. He was only seventh of ten on rain-softened going at Haydock last week but that surface wouldn’t have been ideal and he had to wait for a run up the stands’ rail in a race that developed down the middle (the first hour home came from the four lowest draws).
There’s plenty of pace on his side of the track and he can weave his way through late into place contention at least.
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ROYAL SCIMITAR – (3:00pm Newmarket, 1pt each-way – 40/1)
ROYAL SCIMITAR (stall 2) drops to 6f for the first time since his Newbury novice win on his racecourse debut last July. He had the now 110-rated Line Of Departure back in second place that day and the horses in third, fourth, fifth, seventh eighth and ninth in the 11-runner field have all won at least once since.
He has struggled to stay 7f-1m in his subsequent starts, most of them in Group/Listed company, and a stiff mile in first-time cheekpieces found him out on his handicap debut in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot last time. The Clive Cox yard has hit form in the past week or so, scoring with three of their last six runners at the time of writing and he could be the pace angle up the nearside.
I also considered Whenthedealinsdone (12-1) and Seven Brothers (50-1) and have saved on both.
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SIR RON PRIESTLEY – (3.35 Newmarket, 1.5pts win – 11/2)
SIR RON PRIESTLEY has had excuses since May’s win on the other Newmarket course – his forcing style ineffective when third at York where he wasn’t helped by being taken on for the lead and soft ground was no use to him at Ascot, another track that doesn’t suit his running style.
Since stepped up beyond 1m, his record on good to soft or faster going reads 111112113 (7-9), with the second place coming in the St Leger. He should be able to dominate here and the ground is much faster than ideal for odds-on favourite Al Aasy.
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AIRSHOW – (8.50 Newbury, 1pt each-way – 9/1)
AIRSHOW, who rejoined Rod Millman last winter after a spell with Mick Appleby, could only finish a five-length second in a 6f handicap at Chepstow last time but that doesn’t tell the whole story. With the ‘golden highway’ open for business, the six-year-old had the worst of the draw in stall 1 of 8 and could never get on the faster strip.
He would have given the winner a race from a higher draw and the poorly-drawn fourth – Diamond Cottage – was only just chinned when we bet her next time. Airshow is only one from 20 on turf but that came over course and distance on soft ground and he’s 6lb lower today.
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Today’s Best Bets
Astronomic Choice – 0.5pt each-way – 1.00 Carlisle (25-1 William Hill was the only offer at the time of writing)
Temple Bruer – 1pt each-way – 3.00 Newmarket (25-1 bet 365, ¼ 1,2,3,4, 22-1 William Hill, 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
Royal Scimitar – 1pt each-way – 3.00 Newmarket (40-1 bet365)
Sir Ron Priestley – 1.5pts win – 3.35 Newmarket (11-2 generally)
Airshow – 1pt each-way – 8.50 Newbury (9-1 William Hill was the only offer at the time of writing)
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