Pick of the Pundits: Spanish Pride to be restored after Nadal’s loss
Published:Despite Brown Panther starting the Deutsche Derby as favourite, not one of the 50 Racing Post tipsters in the naps competition napped Michael Owen’s horse yesterday.
It proved to be a shrewd move by the tipsters as Brown Panther failed to justify his favouritism having made the running on desperately soft ground leaving Owen to rue what might have been.
But while the writers managed to avoid the hype surrounding Brown Panther, only five of them could manage to find a winner elsewhere in a poor showing from racing’s finest hacks.
Just four days into the new month, Jeffrey Ross of the Glasgow Evening Times is boasting the best return for your pound at £5.88 and he’s napping Starbound in the 3.30 at Brighton, a horse we’ll look at later.
16.00 Brighton: Spanish Pride – 6/5
John Gosden knows plenty about his three-year-old filly Spanish Pride having trained her relatives Spanish Hidalgo and Spanish Ridge, and this step-up in trip to 1m1f209y should see Spanish Pride win her first handicap.
Both of her relatives stayed at least 1m4f and while she never threatened the leaders in her last start over a mile at Sandown, there was plenty to suggest she would relish a further trip.
Eddie Ahern was on board Spanish Pride when she won a 7f maiden stakes at Folkestone last year and he will be on board this afternoon as Gosden looks to regain the winning formula.
The handicapper has left her alone since her fifth-place finish at Sandown and there is plenty of improvement to come from Spanish Pride and she should justify her short favouritism.
15.30 Brighton: Starbound – 4/9
Three writers have napped Starbound today but the real significance is two of the top tipsters are on board William Haggas’ filly.
Starbound has earned an official rating of 76 and should have too much class for this Class 5 maiden stakes field, and one stat to bear in mind is seven of the last nine winners of this race justified favouritism.
She may be short but four of those favourites were sent off odds-on and with Ryan Moore on board, Starbound is a banker.
