Betfair: Royal Ascot Betting Day One: Zubova may be worth a lay

Today’s update from Betfair:

The first Betfair-sponsored King George weekend is upon us.Three days of high-quality racing will serve up 26 races. Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham casts his eye over the best of the day one action and the rest of the week’s news.

2.40

Little to go on here - so it’s best to tread carefully - but a small lay of Zubova might be worth considering if she is trading as favourite.

Granted, she has valuable experience courtesy of a promising debut - and the Hannon team remain in fine form - but she’s bred for further and shaped accordingly in soft ground at Newbury. It’s also worth noting that this valuable maiden has fallen to a newcomer six times in the last ten years.

3.15

No strong views here. Sea Lord brings the best form after his promising Epsom second, though he looked a galloper rather than a quickener there.

Excellent Guest is owned by the race sponsor and showed clear ability despite a very slow start at Windsor, while Gene Autry travelled well for a long way at Newbury and Almutaham, Pounced and Valiant Knight are well-bred newcomers from big yards.
All in all, probably a minimum stakes job at best.

3.50

It’s all a question of price with Strawberrydaiquiri. Sir Michael Stoute’s filly, who is improving fast and settled a similar contest in emphatic fashion at Sandown, looks well treated despite a penalty and anything around [2.6] would be fair enough.

Of the rest, I’m cool on Damaniyat Girl, who ran well in blinkers at Warwick but needs to prove she can peak again in the headgear. Balaagha’s slow-starting tendencies are hindering her progress at present, so Greenisland and Lady Francesca look the two to note at a price.

Lady Francesca has been absent twelve weeks since a fine effort at Goodwood. Her stable are in fine fettle, though, while Greenisland relished fast ground for a gritty Newmarket handicap success and will probably be underestimated again here.

4.25

Alanbrooke has thrived for the fitting of headgear and forcing tactics and could still be ahead of the game despite a 10lb hike, while Hendersyde ran a cracker in the Northumberland Plate and Darley Sun is nicely progressive with the potential to progress again over two miles.

I make it close between the trio, but the market is likely to have Alanbrooke as strong favourite. And if that’s the case then Darley Sun could prove the value option.

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Two sides to every coin as Burke verdict hits home

It isn’t often a newspaper piece leaves me shaking my head and wondering “how the hell did that get into the paper?”

But that was my reaction after reading Colin Russell’s piece on warned off trainer Karl Burke in Thursday’s Racing Post.

Veteran reporter Russell - a wily operator who has forgotten more than most will ever know about the northern scene - was seemingly asked to “gauge opinion on Burke from those who know the troubled trainer.”

And the reaction from six separate sources - every single one of them unnamed - was astonishing.

In case you missed the findings of the BHA verdict, it’s worth noting that Burke bought a reserve mobile to converse with Miles Rodgers and - having denied any wrongdoing whatsoever for several years - finally admitted to providing inside information which the warned off gambler used to lay horses for fortunes.

Perhaps Russell’s anonymous sources didn’t read the findings. Or perhaps they read them but preferred to place their own positive varnish on Burke’s conduct.
Either way, one described Burke as “up front and honest,” while a former employee bizarrely waxed lyrical about how he “always got paid.”

Stranger still, one anonymous associate said: “Sure, he broke the rules, but it wasn’t dishonest,” before adding “to say he is a cheat is far fetched.”

Just out of interest, I phoned a handful of punters who have watched the Burke case develop and asked them for their snap reaction to his twelve-month ban.

The first said: “I think Karl Burke has been forced kicking and screaming to admit the present position and anyone tempted to stick up for him should read the findings in detail first.”
The second said: “I hope he appeals - because then the BHA might look again and double his ban.”

And the third said: “Karl Burke repeatedly denied charges and, even when he finally admitted he had passed on the information, he steadfastly refused to explain the nature of it. He’s clearly not “up front and honest” and this was the worst piece I have ever read in the Racing Post.”

It’s amazing how two sets of sources can come up with such differing viewpoints. What do you think?

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