Approaching the halfway mark in the Buzz/Newturf tipping competition and it is still anyone’s game and if you’ve not yet started, there is still every possibility of catching the leaders. Here on Buzz, we featured a winner yesterday, as well as correctly predicting the exacta in the same race. Hopefully, we can stay on the right track with the two betting races that are on offer for Saturday evening’s fare.
First up, we’ll take a look at the Binocular Hurdle, a 12-runner Grade C for 4 year old horses over 1400m. The distance is the key to the race here as it brings classic and sprint horses under the same umbrella. The question is whether to side with a pacey classic or a sprinter with a little stamina to spare. Speed rules in my book and so I will be searching for the latter type. Two horses in the race that fit the bill are Jemchipsa Startwist and Boulcine. Jemchipsa Startwist put in a credible performance when finishing 5th in a Sprint Cup Qualifier recently on ground that was probably much quicker than ideal. The ground won’t be much more forgiving on Saturday either but being one of the few genuine sprinters in the field, I still expect him to go close. Boulcine should cope with the ground that little bit better and is undoubtedly a quality sprinter. I fancy she can see out this longer trip while having too much toe for anything else in the field.
The first race on the card, the Medicean Derby is a Grade 1 sprint and a tight looking affair. The piece of form to concentrate on here is that of the Canford Cliffs Derby, which took place on the 8th of this month and featured three of today’s leading contenders – Vahala du Tosc, Sea The Stars GLR and Arka Patrivan. There wasn’t much between the trio that day with Vahala du Tosc coming out on top. In second spot, Sea The Stars GLR was sporting the blinkers which will not be present this time, allowing him to be discounted from calculations. There should be no concerns with the ground for Vahala du Tosc but her most recent outing suggests she may have passed peak fitness. Arka Patrivan, on the other hand, appears to be on the crest of a form wave having scored on her three subsequent outings since finishing third in the Canford Cliffs and I think she could well turn the tables on her previous conquerors here.
Suggested bets: Boulcine to win (Binocular Hurdle) and forecast backers may like to combine her with Jemchipsa Startwist. Arka Patrivan to win (Medicean Derby.)