Friday’s racing comes from seven tracks across the UK and Ireland, and Andrew Mount visits two of them with his top tips on the day.
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Posted: 8am, Thursday, April 19th
2.12 Newbury – DIVINE LIBRA (1pt ew – 9/1 Paddy Power, 17/2 generally)
Charles Hills has a solid recent record with handicappers on their first start after a gelding operation, scoring with ten of the 55 qualifiers since 2019 for a profit of £28.50 to a £1 level stake at SP. Yesterday’s two qualifiers placed at 33-1 and 20-1 and DIVINE LIBRA, in the frame in eight of his nine career starts, looks the each-way play in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap. The son of Dark Angel has form on ground ranging from good through to heavy and though both his wins have come on turning tracks (Catterick and Chester) he earned his career-best RPR (Racing Post Rating) when a half-length second of 15 in the Grey Horse Handicap at Newmarket last summer. William Buick is a positive booking and, while I’d have preferred a middle draw rather than stall 2, he’s drawn near likely pace angle Grand Traverse (stall 4).
7.37 Ballinrobe – ONEFORGONZO (1.5pt win – 4/1 bet365)
7.37 Ballinrobe – MY FRIEND THE WIND (0.5pt ew – 25/1 generally)
The Willie Mullins-trained Onlyamatteroftime heads the betting for this 2m6.5f handicap hurdle but he takes a big step up in trip after trailing home 18th of 21 when just 8-1 for the Betfair Hurdle and looks far from straightforward. The obvious one to take him on with is ONEFORGONZO who clocked a fast time when ploughing through the Naas mud to score by 13 lengths in a 23-runner handicap hurdle earlier this month. That was only his second run in a handicap (he fell at 20-1 in the other when still in contention) and there could be more improvement to come.
I also want to throw a dart at MY FRIEND THE WIND, despite the absence since November. The nine-year-old scored over course and distance in late August after a break of 151 days and his only other win came after 227 days off the track. He’s arguably best on quicker going but the generally available 25-1 is too big to ignore.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
2.12 Newbury – DIVINE LIBRA (1pt ew – 9/1 Paddy Power, 17/2 generally)
7.37 Ballinrobe – ONEFORGONZO (1.5pt win – 4/1 bet365)
7.37 Ballinrobe – MY FRIEND THE WIND (0.5pt ew – 25/1 generally)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Friday, 19th April 2024.
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