Monday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for today’s racing and has all latest news, gossip and gambles from around the tracks
Don't miss out on the best and most hilarious takes on this week's racing from our resident Trackman, Andy Ayres.
JURGEN KLOPP isn’t the only boss who gives it some welly when his team hits the back of the net.
Bold Archie Watson let rip for the Lingfield regulars on Friday, yanking his baseball cap off and whirling it above his bonce like a windmill as Gorgeous Noora (11-4 to 7-4) ran away with a decent sprint handicap.
She cost a few quid, is owned by a powerful crew of movers and shakers and is another walking billboard for a cracking young trainer.
It was good to see some proper old school punters flexing their wallets at this meeting.
First up was an owner of baby-faced Lee Carter, who had £200 each-way on old Shyron (16-1 to 12-1) before he bolted-up under Robert Winston.
Swindon Town chairman Lee Power got busy in the ring when his Weloof (3-1 to 13-8) landed a tickle in a competitive mile handicap.
HOTTEST IN HORSE RACING
Power was sporting a natty man-bag and, judged by his jaunty post-race demeanour, it must have been significantly heavier on the way out than when he arrived at the track.
You won’t find a shrewder man at the sports than David Wilson, who plots and plans the races for a few tasty southern owners.
Wily Wilson was clearly keen on Sandfrankskipsgo’s (12-1 to 15-2) chance in the 5f dash and the big horse could be called a winner as soon as he barrelled out the stalls and led at the first bend.
A quick chat with David confirmed it had been D-Day and no-one would begrudge this proper gent a decent result.
Richard Hannon isn’t a regular at these meetings, so the fact he braved the Baltic blast to watch Allocator (4-1 to 5-4) make his debut was double interesting.
Unfortunately the horse fell asleep in the stalls under Ryan Moore and was left in no-man’s land when Adam Kirby employed his trademark `kick’ turning for home.
Allocator finished better than Marcus Rashford in third and I reckon losses are only lent.
It’s fastest finger first with those intrepid `in-running’ punters, but they came well unstuck in the opener at Lingers on Saturday when Narjes was beaten at 1-100 after downing tools close home.
Trackman's Monday Selection
INGLEBY HOLLOW (1.50 Sedgefield) came home strongly when third at Wetherby last time and has Richard Johnson on his side today.
There was more than 30 grand done on her at the minimum price which must have flattened out a few Betfair accounts.
An insider at Alan King’s warned me the yard’s horses weren’t sparkling and with the well fancied duo Nylon Speed and Redicean running flatter than pancakes over the weekend he may be right.
Mind you, Nicky Henderson issued a health warning over his team the other day and then rattled-up a four-timer on Saturday headed by 17-not-out Altior.
There’s a bit of Groundhog Day about the special one’s recent races – long odds-on, beats a couple of journeymen opponents – but you can’t knock his tick-tock reliability.
Hendo’s pacey mare YELLOW DOCKETS (1.30) could run her rivals ragged in the opener at Warwick today, where SHANTOU FLYER (3.45) looks a class above his rivals in the hunter chase.
It’s got to be significant that Richard Johnson schleps all the way up to Sedgefield for three rides and INGLEBY HOLLOW (1.50) can pay for his petrol by winning the maiden hurdle.
David O’Meara’s big chestnut finished on the front foot at Wetherby last time and should be good enough in what looks a run-of-the-mill event.