Ben Linfoot free horse racing tips for Haydock and Musselburgh ITV Racing Saturday March 30
Our form expert struck with 9/1 and 12/1 winners at Newcastle on Friday, don't miss his Saturday ITV Racing advice.
The Verdict: Saturday, March 30
1pt win Numitor in 3.15 Haydock at 9/2 (General)
1pt win Zip in 2.25 Musselburgh at 8/1 (ABANDONED)
1pt win Princess Karine in 3.00 Musselburgh at 12/1 (ABANDONED)
2pts win Sweet Fantasy in 3.35 Musselburgh at 13/2 (ABANDONED)
Numitor the best bet at Haydock
Not much appeals on the jumps card at Haydock but it’s hard to get away from the claims of NUMITOR in the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase Finale.
Heather Main’s horse was rated 142 six starts ago and three starts ago he was giving 12lb to Heltenham when a five-length second to him, Dan Skelton’s horse of course winning twice recently at Newbury.
Numitor has had his issues which saw him miss the best part of a year, but he’s really well treated off 129 now and looked in good heart at Exeter on his return while shaping like a horse that would come on significantly for the run.
With good Haydock and testing ground form in his locker, as well, he deserves to be disputing favouritism and any 9/2 still knocking around is worth snapping up.
The Verdict: Back NUMITOR in 3.15 Haydock
Fantasy bet at Musselburgh (ABANDONED)
While the all-weather action livened up Good Friday we’ve got Flat turf racing on the Saturday of Easter weekend with Musselburgh’s valuable Virgin Bet Queen’s Cup card taking centre stage on the ITV programme.
You can usually rely on Musselburgh to provide a fast surface at this time of year, but the Edinburgh track has not escaped the wet weather and the heavy ground (with more rain forecast) will be a vital factor.
The feature race over 1m6f will require deep reserves of stamina in the conditions and given Mark Johnston used to target this race the in-form Charlie Johnston quartet demand close inspection.
Of his four I preferred Yorkindness, as she stays further than two miles and has winning course form, but she is in at her beloved Pontefract on Tuesday, as well, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see her rerouted to West Yorkshire.
Either way, a career-best is required here off a mark of 83 and the one they should all fear is James Owen’s SWEET FANTASY who should be clear favourite in my book.
By Wootton Bassett out of soft ground winner Parnell’s Dream, she is bred to thrive in the mud and her race record is playing out like that with her record on soft now 41111.
Those last two wins have been over hurdles, but she looked in terrific nick when hammering Lily Du Berlais at Catterick three weeks ago and while it’s tough to improve one out of Ralph Beckett’s her new trainer could be doing just that.
Her aptitude for hurdling is not that surprising given she’s a half-sister to a couple of winning hurdlers, and her undoubted promise over timber does suggest there could be mileage in her Flat mark now she steps up in trip to 1m6f for the first time on the level.
She won easily off just 5lb lower on soft ground at Epsom last August, while her only run on the Flat since then, at York last September, is worth putting a line through as she was completely eased off once she suffered interference after travelling into the race well.
This looks likely to be run at a solid gallop, at the very least, and that will suit Sweet Fantasy who can travel best of all under 3lb claimer Aidan Keeley (6/20 at 30% for the yard).
The Verdict: Back SWEET FANTASY in the 3.35 Musselburgh
Fahey to show some Zip in Silver Arrow (ABANDONED)
It’s a big day for Richard Fahey with Spirit Dancer racing for a £2.7million winner’s prize in the Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, but he could land a winner closer to home with ZIP in the Virgin Bet Silver Arrow Handicap at Musselburgh.
This horse absolutely loves testing conditions, with six wins on soft or heavy to his name - one of those coming over this course and distance where he won from a mark of 89.
Running well off 92 last summer, he’s dropped back to a mark in the high 80s for the start of the turf campaign and he looks well treated granted his optimum conditions.
Indeed, he ran a cracker at Doncaster last weekend over an inadequate six furlongs and with several of his wins coming off relatively short turnarounds it can be expected that his Town Moor run will have put him spot on for this.
He’s understandably been nibbled at in the market, but 8/1 or better remains very fair.
The Verdict: Back ZIP in the 2.25 Musselburgh
Princess can be crowned in Sprint (ABANDONED)
Also at Musselburgh, Bryan Smart’s PRINCESS KARINE is worth backing in the Virgin Bet Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap over the five furlongs.
The daughter of Aclaim is a speedy filly with a course and distance win to her name from a mark of 76 – just 1lb lower than the rating she runs off on Saturday – with Timeform crucially recording the going as ‘soft’ that day.
That gives us hope she will handle the ground, even if a bit of guesswork is required on that score, but seeing as she has plenty else in her favour she’s worth chancing in the conditions.
The Musselburgh race she won may only have been in a field of four, but her three beaten rivals all won subsequently and, while she made all that day, she’s just as happy taking a lead as she showed at Carlisle.
There is lots of pace on in this race, but Andrew Breslin can either lead or track the pace and I’d expect her to come on from a good reappearance at Newcastle at a track she clearly likes.
Smart targets these early Musselburgh meetings, his historical record at this track in March and April an impressive 17/61 at 28%, and his sole runner on the card is underestimated by the market.
The Verdict: Back PRINCESS KARINE in the 3.00 Musselburgh
Preview posted at 1640 GMT on 29/03/24
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
