Andrew Mount aims to make it a particularly Good Friday, with best bets from All Weather Finals Day at Newcastle and the new All Weather Vase meeting at Lingfield.
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Posted: 2.54pm, Thursday, March 28th
1.30 Lingfield – FURZIG (1pt ew – 30/1 Betfair, Paddy Power, 28/1 BetVictor)
FURZIG likes to come late off a strong pace, the sort only normally produced in big fields. His all-weather record in fields of ten or more runners stands at 31126204929 (2-11), with the two Lingfield runs producing a novice win in a field of ten runners and a two-and-a-half length sixth of 11 when meeting trouble in running at a crucial stage. The nine-year-old’s full record at today’s venue reads 1614433124 (2-10) and if you could design a race for him, it would be this 16-runner apprentice handicap which looks sure to be run at a strong gallop.
3.35 Newcastle – JUAN LES PINS (1pt ew – 7/1 Paddy Power, Betfair)
JUAN DES PINS did well to run second to the prolific Diligent Harry after blowing the start in the Listed 5f Hever Sprint Stakes at Southwell last month and the last three horses to finish second to Diligent Harry on the all-weather in Britain have paid to follow closely – Annaf, runner-up in the Listed Kachy Stakes at Lingfield last month, picked up almost £1m in prize money when an 11-1 winner in Riyadh next time, Witch Hunter, beaten by a head at Newcastle in April of last year, landed the Buckingham Palace Stakes at 50-1 shortly afterwards and King Of Bavaria, who chased home Clive Cox’s gelding at Newcastle in February of last year, won on turf at odds of 15-2 a couple of runs later. Juan Les Pins was upped to 1m4f at Wolverhampton last time but that was only because he needed another run to qualify for today’s All-weather Championships Finals, so his eighth place is safely ignored. The seven-year-old, third in last year’s Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot, is arguably best on turf but possibly just needs a straight track. His only other straight-track all-weather run saw him finish second by a nose over course and distance and he should again be finishing to good effect.
4.10 Newcastle – STORM CATCHER (1.5pts ew – 10/1 bet365, BetMGM and Boylesports)
It can be tricky to win from a low draw in big fields on the round course (distances of 1m2f+) at Newcastle and it could be worth opposing Oh So Grand (stall 1) and Penzance (stall 3) in this 15-runner 1m2f handicap. The one that looks vastly over-priced is the Simon Pearce-trained all-weather expert STORM CATCHER, who was only beaten by a short head when runner-up to Penzance over course and distance on his penultimate start. The six-year-old went one better at Wolverhampton next time to take his all-weather score to seven wins from 15 starts, including form figures on Tapeta of 121 (2-3). He’s tactically versatile and I expect him to start at single-figure odds.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.30 Lingfield – FURZIG (1pt ew – 30/1 Betfair, Paddy Power, 28/1 BetVictor)
3.35 Newcastle – JUAN LES PINS (1pt ew – 7/1 Paddy Power, Betfair)
4.10 Newcastle – STORM CATCHER (1.5pts ew – 10/1 bet365, BetMGM and Boylesports)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Friday, 29th March 2024.
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