The best bets from our Timeform team ahead of Saturday's action from Carlisle, Haydock, Huntingdon, Musselburgh and Fairyhouse.
AL ARBEED - 13.55 Musselburgh (David Johnson)
Midnight Gun represents a yard that have made a good start to the season, but he’s by no means well drawn and given his habit of getting beaten having traded at short odds in running, he looks an opposable favourite. A few of these look like they may be more interesting later in the year, and while last year’s first two, Persuasion and Gweedore should be ready to go, they are both 9-y-os now so by default almost I came down on Al Arbeed. He made an encouraging reappearance at Kempton last week, but was a bit free after 4 months off and weakened late on having briefly got to the front. With that under his belt, he should be ready to fire now and his usual prominent tactics tend to be an asset over this C&D.
BELVEDERE BHOY 14.23 CARLISLE (James Davies)
It’s true Belvedere Bhoy hasn’t shown a great deal of promise to date, but on looks alone he’s of interest from such a low mark, whilst it’s also worth remembering he was sent off a well-backed favourite on his only outing in bumpers. There were definitely more encouraging signs on his handicap debut at Ayr on his most recent outing and the booking of Sean Bowen is clearly noteworthy, not least now that he’s moving up to a trip that’s expected to suit, which may not be case for the likely favourite Sattam, whose pedigree is more about speed than stamina.
MOUNT ATLAS - 14.30 Musselburgh (Rory King)
The doughty Al Qareem will be tough to pass in this listed race if on song, but there are reasons for thinking that giving 5lb to Mount Atlas will be a stiffer task than the early market is suggesting. Mount Atlas still has an air of unfinished business about him embarking on his third season racing and, having showed he belongs at this level when pushing Hamish close at Chester in September, should find this C&D suiting his smooth-travelling style in a race likely to feature a contested pace.
BIOLUMINESCENCE – 14.40 Fairyhouse (Phil Thompson)
Bioluminescence has yet to add to her sole chasing success in three starts this season, but she has shaped better than the bare result each time, notably when not seeing out the trip in the Becher at Aintree and when chasing home Dino Blue over an inadequate 2m in February; this step back up in trip promises to suit and, with the Gavin Cromwell yard back in good form, she makes plenty of betting appeal from a handicap mark that may underestimate her.
BLUE CARPET - 14.46 Haydock (Lewis Tomlinson)
Blue Carpet is an improving young stayer I'd expect to be making his presence felt in top-end handicaps next season and I'd be disappointed if he couldn't notch his third win of the campaign. He was runner-up in red-hot Newbury event on handicap debut in November and overcame a 3-month absence to go one better in really good style at Wetherby next time, pulling upside market leader Woodland Park at the last before finding another gear to forge clear on the run-in. He clearly stays very well, but I liked that he was able to find another change of a pace so deep into that Wetherby contest and 11/4 looks a fair price about him defying a 7lb higher mark.
HARBOUR HIGHWAY 15.15 Fairyhouse (Billy Nash)
Emmet Mullins will be hoping to win his first Irish Grand National with Soldier In Milan on Monday but by the time that comes around he may already have one 'National' in the bag, the Ladies version courtesy of Harbour Highway. Having not cut much ice on his first three starts over fences he proved a different proposition when the money was down at Leopardstown last time, winning with a bit to spare after conceding first run to the runner-up. A 6lb penalty is unlikely to prevent him from following up, especially as he is open to further improvement and Maxine O'Sullivan is a major plus in races of this nature.
MOYGANNY PHIL – 16.05 Carlisle (Simon Walker)
Moyganny Phil has been expensive to follow so far, turned over at 6/4 and 9/4 in a couple of maidens and at 7/4 when only third on his handicap debut at Huntingdon last month. However, he’s worth another chance to prove himself well treated stepped up in trip on a stiffer track, hard to believe that he won’t be suited by the increased emphasis on stamina given he was runner-up on both starts in Irish points and seemed caught out by the sharp track at Huntingdon, his jumping suffering as a result.
KING ULANDA - 18.00 Huntingdon (Kieran Clark)
It's safe to say things haven't gone to plan for King Ulanda since shaping with plenty of encouragement at Haydock pre-Christmas, producing an error-strewn round there next time before falling two out at Sedgefield, though his jumping had been sharpened up prior to then by the fitting of first-time cheekpieces (retained here) and he was looking set to be placed at the very least. The inclusion of free-going pair Time Interval and Hello Sweety should ensure this is run to suit King Ulanda's come-from-behind style and it looks to be his easiest assignment of the season so far.
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