The Punting Pointers' first selection dotted up by over four lengths at Redcar, don't miss their other recommended bet on today's card.
Racing betting tips: Monday April 20
1pt win Wild Thoughts in 14:42 Redcar at 13/2 (General) - min 11/2
1pt win According To Mark in 16:20 Redcar at 2/1 (General) - take no lower
14:42 Redcar
This looks pretty open, but WILD THOUGHTS makes some appeal on a couple of angles and gets the nod as a result. This represents a handicap debut for a horse who has been gelded since finishing 6½ lengths sixth of 7 to Ameeq in a 5f maiden at Nottingham last summer. That was his best effort in a trio of runs and he has apparently been brought along with handicaps in mind, with those runs coming in a five-week spell before he could mature physically. He has been put away to strengthen up since Nottingham and is very likely to do better now handicapping, and Richard Spencer’s record with handicap debutants is a positive one, with two winners from ten such runners last season, both scoring at 14/1.
Spencer is also a trainer to follow when his horses return to the track for the first time since being gelded, with three wins and seven places from 13 recently gelded runners in the past two years for a significant profit.
Wild Thoughts is by Lucky Vega out of a stakes winner over 1m in the US and he was never going to show all he could over sprint trips as a juvenile. He is capable of abnormal progress stepping up three furlongs in trip on this return, and can improve his trainer’s 22% strike-rate at Redcar.
16:20 Redcar
Mr Colonel looked promising on his first two starts last year and is likely to be a warm favourite for this on the basis of a seemingly improved effort when 4¾ lengths fifth of 8 to Pierre Bonnard in the Zetland Stakes at Newmarket in October. A reproduction of that might be enough here, but I thought he was flattered by his proximity that day given he was allowed the run of things from the front. If he’s going to progress this year, and he may well do, Mr Colonel is likely to need further than ten furlongs and the relatively sharp test provided by Redcar’s sharp bends could see him vulnerable on his return.
I’d be happy to oppose the likely favourite with the unexposed ACCORDING TO MARK who is out of a dual Group 3 winner at a mile who has produced a couple of winners around this trip, including the very useful Painters Palette, who won the Straight-mile Championship here last season. According To Mark caught the eye on his only start to date when 4¾ lengths fourth of 12 to Director's Cut in a 1m novice at Newcastle in November, staying on late having looked very much in need of the experience.
The runner-up that day, Eddaari, won a maiden over the same C&D last week, and while the bare form demands improvement, the son of St Mark’s Basilica looks the type to progress well with experience and the step up in trip on turf should be a catalyst for that expected improvement. Ed Bethell has sent out four winners from his last 15 runners, and four of those were returning from 60+ days off the track, which augurs well here.
Preview posted at 09:16 BST on 20/04/26
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