Horse Racing Betting: Donn McClean’s Horses To Follow
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Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs.
Consider ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and ensure prices on betting sites are satisfactory to you as a punter.
This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances.
It should also provide timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season, be it National Hunt or Flat racing.
Matt Connor - Fairyhouse, 1st June
Matt Connor ran out an impressive winner of the 10-furlong three-year-olds' handicap at Fairyhouse last Thursday.
Settled nicely by Billy Lee just behind the leaders early on, he moved up easily on the outside as they rounded the home turn.
He travelled well into the home straight, he travelled like the most likely winner to the two-furlong marker, and he picked up well when his rider asked him to.
He hit the front at the furlong marker, and he kept on nicely to win by a length and a half, leaving the impression that he had more in hand than that.
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Well named, after the legendary Offaly footballer - who was actually present at Fairyhouse on the evening - Henry de Bromhead's horse had battled on well to win a handicap at Cork in April that has worked out extremely well since,
It was another step forward from that, racing off a 6lb higher mark.
The handicapper has given him another 8lb for this, it takes him up to a mark of 85, but there is every chance that he is progressive enough to be even better than an 85-rated performer.
He could be even better stepped up to a mile and a half and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.
Toshizou - Epsom, 2nd June
Toshizou kept on well to finish fourth in the 10-furlong handicap at Epsom last Friday. He was held up early on by Hollie Doyle, disputing last place with the ultimate winner Cadillac.
But, whereas Cadillac moved up along the inside rail from early in the home straight and got out into the clear with three furlongs to run, Toshizou got a little out-paced when they quickened around the home turn and, still last as they passed the three-furlong pole, ended up going inside and looking for a run among traffic, which is always difficult at Epsom.
He did get out as they passed the two-furlong marker, but he was about five lengths behind the leader at that point and it was never really likely that he would get there, given that the early pace was not fast.
That said, he stayed on well all the way to the line to take fourth place behind the winner, closest at the finish.
Cadillac was impressive in winning, and his closing sectionals were good, but Toshizou was marginally faster through the final three furlongs than the winner was, and the two of them were far faster than everything else.
Roger Fell's horse wasn't helped by the moderate early pace, he should be able to do much better now when he can get a stronger pace at which to run.
A winner over seven and a half furlongs for Joseph O'Brien, he proved here that he could stay 10 furlongs well, and that opens up new options for him.
He has dropped to a mark of 90, 4lb lower then he was when he joined Roger Fell, and he could be a well-handicapped horse now.
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Torito - Epsom, 3rd June 2023
It was difficult not to be impressed with the performance that Torito put up in winning the 10-furlong three-year-olds' handicap at Epsom on Saturday.
He was a little keen through the very early stages of the race, but he settled nicely then in sixth place behind the pace-setting Forca Timao.
He travelled well down around Tattenham Corner, he was the only horse who was still on the bridle as they straightened up for home.
He made his ground nicely on the outside without Benoit De La Sayette having to get too serious with him, and he picked up well when his rider asked him to, hitting the front on the run to the furlong marker and clearing away to win by almost three lengths.
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
It was a really likeable performance by the Gosdens' horse.
It was just his fourth run too, and his first on ground better than good to soft, so his first handicap, and he coped well with all of that.
The handicapper has raised him by 10lb to a mark of 105, but he deserves to move into stakes races now.
He does hold an entry in the John Smith's Cup though, and, with a 10lb weight-for-age allowance for three-year-olds in that, he could get into the race on a nice weight, should connections decide to go down that road.
Lucander - Epsom, 3rd June 2023
Lucander stayed on well to take third place in the 12-furlong handicap at Epsom on Derby day.
Restrained early on by Pat Cosgrave, he was last of the eight runners after they had gone 100 yards, and he was still last as they turned for home and passed the three-furlong marker.
Angled towards the outside at that point by his rider, he picked up well and made good progress down the stands side.
He moved into a share of fourth place by the time they got to the two-furlong pole, and he continued to close all the way to the line.
In the end, he was beaten by two lengths by the winner Sheer Rocks, who raced handily from early, and he failed by just a head to take second place from Caius Chorister, who led from early.
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This was another middle-distance handicap at Epsom in which it was difficult to make ground from the rear.
The early pace was not strong, as evidenced by the winner's finishing speed of 112.41%. Lucander's finishing speed was 113.86%, he was faster through the final three furlongs than all his rivals.
George Baker's horse is not obviously unexposed, but he has been in good form since his return from Bahrain this season, and this run was up there with the best of his career.
He should be able to do better now with a stronger pace. He should get that if and when he drops back to 10 furlongs, but this was just his fifth run over a distance in excess of 10 and a half furlongs, and he saw out the 12 furlongs well.
He will be of interest now over a mile and a half when a strong pace is likely, and we know that he goes particularly well at York.
Apollo One - Epsom, 3rd June 2023
Apollo One did well to finish second in the six-furlong handicap that brought events to a conclusion on Derby day at Epsom.
Drawn widest of all in stall 14, he had to do a lot of running early on in order to secure a position for himself, and he was still widest of all around the turn.
He picked up well in the home straight from mid-division though, he came down the outside with the eventual winner Badri.
He appeared to become a little unbalanced just inside the two-furlong marker, but he kept to his task well, he ran all the way to the line to take second place, doing well in the circumstances to go down by just a neck.
Apollo One is not obviously unexposed, but this was a good performance, and it could bring him forward nicely for the Wokingham.
He only finished eighth in that race last year, but he led from early out towards the centre of the track, in a race in which Rohaan came from the rear to win, a race in which it was probably an advantage to be held up - as it often is on Ascot's straight track - and to race towards the stands side.
Apollo One was only beaten a total of five lengths, having led until well inside the two-furlong marker out towards the centre of the track.
The handicapper raised him by 3lb for this run to a mark of 100, but, because the Wokingham is an early-closing race, he would get to race off his old mark of 97, which is 1lb lower than the mark off which he raced last year.
He didn't run badly on his only other run at Ascot, in the Group 3 Pavillion Stakes in 2021, and he will be of interest if he lines up in the Wokingham again this year.
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