Best bets for the All-Weather horse racing Saturday 5th January 2019

It is another busy Saturday with five meetings in the UK to get your teeth into if you wish. Sandown has some quality on show with the Listed Mares Hurdle and Grade One Tolworth plus of course the Veterans Chase. 

I am concentrating again on the All-Weather and it’s a busy afternoon for Triple G with six horses fancied.

They race on the Polytrack at Lingfield Park with their first at 12.40 the 1m2f Betway Casino Handicap. Mark Johnston continues to bang in the winners and has one in this. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Fazza to his friends) owned  Sunbreak won over a mile at Chelmsford and 7f at Kempton back in 2017 meaning he is two for two on Polytrack. Every chance he will stay this 1m2f trip and off a mark of 67 should be competitive. Having been off the track for over a year his couple of runs last month should have him cherry ripe for this. I have the 4-1.  

They go over the same 1m2f trip for the Betway Handicap at 1.15 and it’s those connections again. As mentioned the Johnston yard has been amongst the winners this winter and one that has been going particularly well for the team on the All-Weather is lightly raced 4yo colt Matterhorn. He made his belated debut in October over a mile at Pontefract and has subsequently won at Chelmsford, was second at Newcastle, won here at Lingfield and then won again last time at Southwell. Steps-up up in trip for this but the way he has finished his races over a mile suggests shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a career-high mark of 93 but that doesn’t look likely to stop him either. Perfectly boxed in stall two to grab a prominent position from the start I have confidently taken the 5-4.

It’s the 1m4f trip for the Betway Live Casino Handicap at 1.45. Nylon Speed returns to the All-Weather having won at Kempton over the trip in August having been Hurdling since. He won at Warwick and is as high as 123 over the sticks making his rating of 70 on the Flat look very attractive. The tongue strap is on for the first time and he comes here rather than a race at Wolverhampton on Friday. The 5yo from the yard of Alan King will be bang there I think and I would recommend you grab a bit of the 11-8.

The Follow Sun Racing On Twitter Conditions Stakes at 2.15 looks at the mercy of Straight Right. He was staying on in the mile Listed Hyde Stakes at Kempton last time having not got the clearest of runs. In a small field such as this, his hold-up style is less of a concern and I think he can kick on turning for home to land a knockout blow in this. I have the 4-5.

Later they race at Kempton Park and I fancy a couple there as well.

I have put up a couple of John Gosden trained runners this week (Military Law won and Holy Heart second) and I am tipping another of his for the 7f 32Red Casino Fillies’ Novice Stakes that starts the evening meeting on their Polytrack circuit at 4.15. Vandella is a nicely bred newcomer who has reportedly been going very well on the Al Bahathri Polytrack down at HQ. Owner-breeder George Strawbridge doesn’t buy many so you can be sure he will be looking to get a win or two with this filly having stumped up 280,000 Guineas to get her as a yearling. By Invincible Spirit out of Lady Livius she is a half-sister to three winners including G.3 Sirenia Stakes winner as a 2yo Burnt Sugar. I have a bit of the 7-4. Of those we have seen on track thus far Regal Ambition looks the danger.

The two-mile 32red Handicap at 6.15 looks fairly open but I think I may have one. Cayirli won over track and trip back in April and gets in here off a 2lb lower mark. The gelding looked to be getting back to form in his last two runs out in France and with the yard of Seamus Durack amongst the winners recently and Martin Harley riding at +30% strike-rate at the moment it all looks set-up for a big run. The tongue strap has been fitted for the first time and I have taken 7-1.

Be lucky