Best bets for the All-Weather horse racing Saturday 22nd February
The short ones burnt my fingers on Thursday, two winners but also three seconds – three little ducks quack, quack, quack! I am afraid I have no huge priced ones this weekend but a couple at backable prices and hopefully four winners.
Chepstow has been abandoned but there's plenty of big prizes on offer at Kempton with five Graded races on the card, but nothing jumped off the page at me and I am leaving the meeting alone. It’s a big day on the All-Weather as it is Group Three Winter Derby day at Lingfield Park, and I will once again be sticking to the All-Weather for my punts. ITV4 will broadcast the two main races.
At 2.05 the speedsters face 5f for the Listed Betway Hever Sprint Stakes. Good Effort has been putting in some good efforts, such as when winning the 6f Listed Cleves Stakes last time, but duly must carry the penalty here aand is arguably better over the longer trip. I am taking him on. Furious gets what might prove a big 7lb in the weights as she was improving throughout 2019; if she has come on over the winter, she will be a player. The jolly might set her the perfect target here as she likes to follow one before swooping late. Early doors she is priced anywhere between 7-2 and 5-1 so shop around and get on.
At 3.15 it is the main event the 1m2f Group Three Betway Winter Derby Stakes (All-Weather Championships Fast-Track Qualifier). Frankie Dettori is booked for his first domestic ride of the season partnering Dubai Warrior for boss John Gosden but I think he should have stayed on holiday as he aint wining this. The King Power-owned Bangkok lines-up looking to follow up his impressive victory last time in the trial which he won by four and a half lengths from Court House, who opposes again. Andrew Balding’s classy performer looks a solid bet to me. I wish I had taken the odds against that was about a week or so ago but there was the chance he’d go globetrotting, so I didn’t. He is now 8-11 but I can’t back against him.
At 4.25 it’s a small field for the 1m4f Betway Handicap but we have three on a hat-trick. City Tour and Battle Of Marathon both have to be respected but Pirate King is the one for me. Pirate King beat Battle Of Marathon over track and trip in December and he is 5lb better off at the weights here. He went in over C&D last month in similar fashion and he’e the one I think will be the hat-trick hero. Get on at 2’s.
Later in the evening at 6.00 over at Chelmsford City we have the Good Friday Spring Country Fair Fillies' Novice Stakes over 7f. A Godolphin one caught my eye in the entries, and she runs. By Dark Angel Stormy Mountain is the first foal of Aspen an Australian 6.5f/6.7f winner. She was a close second to a more experienced rival on debut over 7f on Kempton's Polytrack last month and I think the grey can get off the mark here. Old Mr Marmite Jamie Spencer rides, hopefully he won’t try to be too clever. She won’t be a big price, but I wasn’t expecting 10-1! Ge the best you can early.
Be lucky