Megan Nicholls Racing Preview: Sandown, York & Chester Tips
SATURDAY RACING TIPS
Chester 2.33 – Saturday Social Handicap
I fancy Station X (11/4 jt fav).
I liked his chances when he was a non-runner at Carlisle and I think this track is going to be better suited. He’s sharp, quick out the stalls and travels along nicely.
He’s in an ideal draw here in stall one – if he pops out and is able to dictate on the front end he could be hard to pass.
Station X has been in pretty good heart this season, running well with a couple of narrow defeats.
This looks like the ideal setup.
Megan’s Tip: Station X WIN
Sandown 2.42 – BetMGM Scurry Stakes
The jockey bookings for Charlie Appleby are interesting for this one – I don’t know who would have the pick over Oisin Murphy or Billy Loughnane.
The market has gone with Oisin being on the favourite, Words Of Truth (15/8 fav), but I’m looking at Billy’s mount Military Code (3/1).
He has the proven speed for the minimum trip – he was narrowly beaten by a pretty smart filly last year over this course and distance.
Military Code hasn’t been seen for a bit, and Charlie’s horses were a little out of form earlier in the year, but he’s had enough winners recently for me to be on side with them here.
They’re dropping the other runner back in trip whereas Military Code has the natural speed and is better drawn in stall four as well.
It’s fascinating that they’ve decided to take both runners for the Scurry to go head to head – but I’m going Military Code.
Megan’s Tip: Military Code WIN
York 3.00 – Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes
Al Qareem (2/1 fav) is an absolute legend who won this race last year and generally goes well at York.
He returned in good form in the Goliath Cup Stakes at Musselburgh in April, beating Mount Atlas.
That form was reversed last time at Chester but Al Qareem went a fairly decent gallop. In what was a decent enough race, it just took its toll in the end; turning for home he was right there but then tired.
This time round – in a smaller field without quite as much depth – I think Clifford Lee will be able to dictate those fractions a little bit more.
He’ll probably have less pressure on the front end and, if he can just get a bit of an anchor on Al Qareem to get him into a nice rhythm, then we know he’s tough to pass.
Mount Atlas has been solid in two runs but Al Qareem is just such a likeable horse so it’s hard not to stick with him.
Everything looks to be set up nicely for him this time.
Megan’s Tip: Al Qareem WIN
Sandown 3.17 – Read Meg Nicholls' Blog At Betmgm.co.uk Handicap
Beagle Bay (11/4 fav) was very impressive at Yarmouth on his handicap debut.
He got hiked up in the weights nine pounds, was pretty dominant that day and looks the type to improve.
Ralph Beckett’s horses do take a step forward from their first run so, if he can improve on that anyway, then he’s definitely going to be able to overcome the 9lbs rise.
Beagle Bay’s pedigree suggests he’s going to get better with age and probably with distance at some point, too.
His biggest danger is Raammee (10/3) for the Roger Varian and Ray Dawson team, who have been going really well recently.
He was too keen and too fresh on his return so he’s had a hood applied just to try to help him settle down.
Raammee is talented – as we saw when he won twice on the all-weather – but I don’t think we can discount him as a turf horse yet, he just ran too keen on his seasonal reappearance, and he’ll be better for it.
*Megan’s Tip: Beagle Bay WIN; Raammee E/W
York 3.35 – Sprint Handicap
Red Spells Danger (5/1 fav) is a rapidly improving horse since being dropped down to this trip.
He’s up in grade and up in the weights on the back of two very dominant victories. He has looked a massive improver, the trip has been key to that but he’s also obviously maturing and getting better with age as well.
We’ve seen Tim Easterby with some great sprinters over the years and, typically, his horses do get better with age.
Red Spells Danger ticks the boxes.
My big each-way price is First Legion (20/1), who has always been held in pretty high regard although he hasn’t ultimately fulfilled the potential connections thought he had.
But returning to a flat six furlongs will suit him; he’s a keen, travelling, forward-going type. I think the seven was too much of a stretch, and the stiff six furlongs at Leicester wasn’t to his liking either, so returning to a sharper track and sharper distance should suit him.
I think he’s overpriced and some of these sprints do throw up some big prices for an each-way shout – he still has the class even if the penny hasn’t necessarily dropped yet.
Megan’s Tip: Red Spells Danger WIN; First Legion E/W
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation
