Bet of the day: Friday’s racing
Published:
We aim to kick-start the weekend
UK and Irish horse racing meetings are scheduled at Sandown, York, Newton Abbot, Aintree, Chepstow, Goodwood and Fairyhouse on Friday. More than enough to give Coral punters an interest throughout the day.
We focus our attentions on the seven races taking place at York, getting underway at 1.50pm. Get race-by-race selections at the foot of this page, aimed at helping boost up your accumulators, or read on as we detail our NAP on the card.
Sainted arrives in great form
Race of the day, and by some stretch, goes to post at 4.05pm, a fillies’ handicap disputed over the snappy six furlongs trip. Of the dozen runners expected to have a go, Sainted is the one for us. The progressive four-year-old arrives at track with just three previous runs, but she has won two of them, and finished runner-up in the other.
Making a winning bow at Doncaster in the winter of 2015, she returned 12 months ago to shake off the rust, ending runner-up behind Alizoom, despite going off as a short-price favourite that day. Uninspiring at the finish in defeat, she righted a few wrongs when booking a place in the winner’s enclosure at Newmarket on her last go.
Haggas loves it at York
Beating Stars N Angels into second, Sainted was noted for running on at the finish, proving she was back in the mood and ready to continue her progress. The William Haggas trained rep has jockey Pat Cosgrave onboard, and that’s sure to appeal to punters on the day. It makes for a fearsome partnership, with the trainer boasting an impressive strike rate on sprinters, and he enjoys it at York too.
The NAP looks to have been given every chance by the handicapper to build on her form, and we’re more than happy to give her the benefit of the doubt. If she takes to conditions as well as we expect her to, she’ll win this with a bit to spare.
York selections
1.50 – Hard Graft
2.20 – Big Country
2.55 – Milton Road
3.30 – Sun Lover
4.05 – Sainted
4.40 – Monjeni
5.15 – Panko
