Tipping Tim’s Weekend Bets

As much as I love betting on horse racing, I find it absolutely incredible how much people talk about the Cheltenham Festival these days. We live in one of the most exciting and diverse countries on the planet, yet people will happily spend evenings on end discussing the merits of a beast who needs 75 yaks to come out in order to sneak in at the bottom of the Martin Pipe Hurdle weights.

It’s just as well it wasn’t like this in the 1960s, otherwise John Lennon would have sacked off forming The Beatles in favour of sitting down with Ringo Starr to find the non-runner-no-bet value in the Kim Muir!

I’ve just about mustered the strength to look at tomorrow’s Wolverhampton card, and even that only held my attention for about 15 minutes.

This will sound a bit like Groundhog Day, but the nap tomorrow has to be Whispering Warrior in the 2.55 Wolves. I tipped David Simcock’s Polytrack specialist when he ran at Lingfield last week but George Buckell went so wide that he delayed the 5.15 flight from Gatwick to Tenerife, and the horse (like the jockey) ultimately shaped like he needed the run.

Jim Crowley takes over tomorrow and, with Wolves’ sticky surface sure to suit this proven stayer, I should get a better run for my money this time around.

The next best this weekend has to be Alben Star in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at 2.20. Richard Fahey’s tough gelding doesn’t know how to run below form and, even though he has a few pounds to find with most of these, he is much more likely to run his race than most of the opposition are. He has long shaped like he’s worth another go at seven furlongs, and he could be in the right place at the right time to bag a weak Listed contest.

For the Trixie I’m going to take a chance on Quixote in the 5.15 Wolverhampton. Clive Brittain is too busy dancing to have many runners at this time of year, but he’s had a couple run ok recently and this plodder has the form to go close off 84 if he is fully tuned up.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend.