Saturday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for Saturday’s action and has all the biggest gambles landed from up and down the land
Don't miss out on the best and most hilarious take on this week's racing from our resident Trackman, Andy Ayres.
PUNTERS were gunned down in a Valentine’s Day massacre at Fontwell Park on Thursday.
Well bet jollies fell like ninepins on an afternoon to forget for West Country whizzkid Jack Barber.
Jolly Jack and his gang came unstuck when they went for a right touch with Redmond here last month and he left the money behind again when Amzac Magic (7-1 to 2-1) finished a luckless third in the opener.
This one would have collected if Aidan Coleman hadn’t gone for an afternoon nap at halfway and connections looked as if they had dropped a fiver and found a pound during the post-race debrief.
Top man Gary Moore bagged a winner with Le Capricieux, but had the right hump after his highly rated Bullfrog (7-2 to 5-2) was beat in a hot novice hurdle.
Gazza thinks the world of this mare and reckons he ran her too soon after a cracking hurdles debut at Sandown.
Cheltenham is out, but Aintree looks a distinct possibility and she’s definitely one to keep your peepers on this spring.
NEW DIGS Planners give Fergal O'Brien the go-ahead to move into bigger stables
By the way, the Moore team were chuffed to see young Rhys Clutterbuck ride his first winner on Clearance at Kempton on Wednesday night.
The kid had hit the woodwork more times than a cabinet maker before this one went in and I’m told he was massively relieved to finally see his name in lights.
Ride of the night was Oisin Murphy’s front running masterclass on reluctant hero My Dear Friend (11-2 to 7-2) in the mile handicap.
This quirky gelding holds his head high enough to pick up shortwave radio and it took all Murphy’s nous to squeak home by a fag-paper in the photo.
Pocket-rocket Hollie Doyle is dynamite out of the stalls and made-all to land a monster touch on Shaun Keightley’s Elusif (20-1 to 8-1) in the 7f handicap here.
Keightley was warned off for three years after the Jockey Club reckoned he stopped one at Wolverhampton back in 2003.
It’s a long way back from that, but the man can train and is double dangerous when the money is down.
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A syndicate of Southwell punters gave it plenty of welly when Riviere Argentee hit the frame at Plumpton on Wednesday.
His effort meant the fellas in question were holding the only winning ticket in a Colossus Bets prize that netted a tasty five figure sum.
Incidentally, anyone fancying a trip to Southwell for the `Turn The Lights On’ fixture on March 30 can pick up a free Grandstand ticket by booking online.
You don’t have to spend fortunes to buy a good`un and Derek Shaw has pinched a proper bargain in Naralsaif, who won her fifth race for the yard at Chelmsford on Thursday night.
Apparently Derek’s wife Lyndsey was window shopping at the sales under strict instructions not to come home with a horse.
She couldn’t resist when this topper was offered up for just £400 and the rest is history.
There’s a bumper card at Ascot today, where Philip Hobbs’ DEISE ABA (12.30) and the Paul Nicholls trained GETAWAY TRUMP (3.20) are both well fancied.
Trackman's Saturday Selection
FIRST LINK (1.30 Lingfield) was impressive over 7f here last time and will appreciate the step-up in trip.
Best bet of the day could be FIRST LINK (1.30) in the opener at Lingfield.
This monster filly lost a shoe when bolting-up over 7f here last time and will be even more effective over this trip.