Hi,
We had a profitable day yesterday with 14/1 winner Cashel and 25/1 2nd place for Rhubarb Bikini.
Muntadab – 1.50 Musselburgh – 7F Handicap – 12/1 Bet365 – 2 point win
The 9 year old Muntadab has been a grand servant to connections winning 11 races and is a real 7F specialist. He has won off marks as high as 103 and is currently down to just 80.
He is a course and distance winner at Musselburgh of 97 in 2017 and has consistently run well at the track.
Looking at his overall profile he tends to come on for his first run of the season and having run badly at Southwell three weeks ago (and drifting in the market) it certainly looked like a pipe opener.
With Ben Curtis back in the saddle Muntadab looks really interesting off 80, and with there being some market support he looks a strong selection.
I therefore recommend 2 point win with Bet365.
Art of America – 7.30 Wolverhampton 1m 1.5F Handicap– 25/1 Paddy Power – 1.5 points each way.
I’m not normally a fan of Paddy Butler’s horses, but Art of America looks really interesting in this Class 6 handicap.
He was previously trained in Ireland where he won 4 races, including 2 on the tapeta all-weather at Dundalk over 1m 2F on marks of 72 & 69.
Art of America was purchased by UK connections. His last run in Ireland in September 2020 was off 76 and over his six subsequent UK runs his mark has plummeted to a lowly 49.
It’s very noticeable that Art of America used to wear blinkers in all his victories, but they have been conspicuously absent on all his UK runs.
It looks significant that the blinkers are reapplied today where he runs on Wolverhampton’s tapeta surface over his ideal trip. Graham Rooke takes off a valuable 3lb so effectively runs off just 46 today.
It all looks good for Art of America and at 25/1 he looks a fantastic bet. I therefore recommend 1.5 points each way with Paddy Power.
Canyon City – 3.15 Haydock – 3m Handicap Hurdle – 40/1 Bet365 – 1 point each way.
Neil King does well with his runners at the Challenger Final’s series at Haydock and his runner, Canyon City looks to have an excellent chance at big odds.
Canyon City loves a tight left handed track, so Haydock suits him well. Indeed he won a class 2 handicap here off a mark of 137.
He returns here off the back of three mediocre runs this season that has seen his mark drop from 136 to 126. He does have excuses as his first run will certainly have been a seasonal pipe opener, the next was on unsuitable soft ground and his latest was at the super galloping Newbury track which really didn’t suit him.
These runs have helped get his handicap down to a really handy mark and I’m sure this race has been the plan all season for him.
The drying ground is very much in his favour and the highly capable 5lb claimer Lily Pinchen looks a positive booking.
Unfortunately, we have missed some of the 66/1 available, but at 40/1 he still looks a cracking bet and I’m recommending 1 point each way.
Raajihah – 8.30 Wolverhampton – 1m Handicap- 50/1 Bet365 – 1 point each way.
The beautifully bred 4 year old Raajihah is a cast off from the late Hamdan Ak Maktoum operation. She is lightly raced and was very green running in his mandatory 3 maidens and two handicaps.
He has been pulling hard in his races and having watched all his runs the jockeys have been trying to teach him to settle by sitting in the rear of midfield behind horses.
On his latest run they added a hood to his set up which did seem to help. Unfortunately, he was held at the rear in quite a slowly run race, and whilst he stayed on, he couldn’t quicken to get involved.
It was a good experience for the horse and today I can see him running a better race under a more positive ride by lady jockey Joanna Mason. She has excellent stats with a 12% strike rate overall and I can see her getting a better tune out of Raajihah.
At 50/1 with Bet365 I think it’s a good each way bet and I ‘m recommending 1 point each way.
