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Our daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey had another winner (13/2) yesterday - check out today's preview and tips.
Racing betting tips: Friday July 26
0.5pts e.w. Musical Mystery in 3.00 Ascot at 14/1 (Betfred 1/5 1,2,3,4) - min 10/1
0.5pts e.w. The Cookstown Cafu in 5.30 York at 8/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) - min 7/1
3:00 Ascot
Not too many in the Chapel Downs Handicap arrive in obvious form, making Red Maids an obvious contender, but Mark Rimell’s filly is up in the weights for being beaten last time and could be vulnerable to one returning to form.
Top weight Final Watch is a C&D winner and lower in the weights than for his last two wins, so needs a second look, but it’s much easier to find excuses for MUSICAL MYSTERY and the five-year-old gets a confident vote to bounce back from an unfortunate incident at Brighton.
Musical Mischief finished one from last at the seaside track when fancied last time, but can have a line put through that run as he ran into sustained and race-ending interference when coming with a challenge over a furlong out.
Hollie Doyle had little choice but to sit and suffer when becoming the meat in an unpalatable sandwich as the closers came together on the camber. The result was catastrophic to her chances and she allowed Musical Mischief to coast home.
Prior to that Musical Mischief had shown his well-being by winning four of his first nine starts for Ed Dunlop having joined from Ali Stronge as a maiden.
He’s at his best over 7f on any surface, it seems, and there’s no reason to think that he’s peaked yet given how much he’s been turned around by his current yard. Silvestre de Sousa rode a treble at Leicester on Wednesday, including one for Ed Dunlop and he’s riding at the peak of his powers at present.
3:55 Uttoxeter
Laser Focus is yet another example of what happens when James Owen takes a horse that’s been in another yard and gives it a new regime, with the son of Sea The Stars disappointing for Henry de Bromhead and then Alexandra Dunn before moving to Owen early this year as a 14-race maiden. Since then, the six-year-old has won twice and posted even better efforts in defeat on his last three starts.
He now turns his attention back to hurdles, in which discipline he showed plenty of ability for de Bromhead, finishing a good second at Kilbeggan from a mark of 102 last year. That Irish mark corresponds to around 107 on the BHA scale, making him look well treated having dropped to 97 in a few fruitless runs for Dunn in the winter.
With his Flat form much improved in recent months, it would be no surprise to see him take that progress back to hurdles, and he could be nicely treated in this sphere for current connections.
5:30 York
The first one that caught our eye here is Tanmaawy, who has dropped a long way in the handicap for Heather Main in the past year and did run better on his latest start, signifying a return to form might not be far away, but the yard are still somewhat below par, despite a recent winner, and stall 16 is going to make things harder for him here too, so it might be a watching brief again.
Those drawn low did best in this last year, with stalls 1, 4 and 5 filling the first three spots, and it may pay to concentrate on those in the lower-numbered stalls again.
Charency has been in good form recently and should go well from stall 7, for all he may be at the top end of his mark now, but THE COOKSTOWN CAFU came back to form in cheekpieces last time at Carlisle, and now might be fit enough after a fairly long absence over the summer and late spring to do himself justice at a track he has gone well at before.
Dropping back to 7f could be ideal for The Cookstown Cafu, who likes to race on the speed, and from stall 2 Hollie Doyle should be able to get track position very easily. He’s dropped 6lb from the start of the turf season and looks ready to strike.
Preview posted 0912 BST on 26/07/24
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