Nottingham begins a new season of Flat racing on Wednesday afternoon and MansionBet are thrilled to be title sponsors of all seven races on the card at Colwick Park.
The highlight on the first day of the new term is the Listed MansionBet Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes at 4.10pm, with 2019 St Leger runner-up Sir Ron Priestly making his long-awaited return to the racetrack.
It’s a seven-race card at Nottingham (2.10pm-5.10pm) and you can watch every race via live streaming when logged into MansionBet. Our tipster takes a look at the card below.
2.10 – MansionBet Bet 10 Get 20 Novice Stakes (1m½f)
John & Thady Gosden have a strong hand in this opener and the market should reveal plenty in regards to $825,000 purchase Ebnzaidoon and DADDY FRANK. Both showed promise last season in two runs but it was the Frankel colt that looked a shade unlucky when narrowly denied at both Newcastle and Kempton. He can make a winning return. Diamond Of Dubai and Dubawi Sands are possible improves in the Al Maktoum silks, while newcomer First Connection is respected too.
Selection: Daddy Frank @ 10/3
2.40 – MansionBet Beaten By A Head Handicap (1m½f)
Straitouttacompton is 2-2 so far in 2021, twice winning over a mile at nearby Southwell and should have a decent shout switched to grass here from just a 2lb higher mark. CHANNEL PACKET is a former course winner (1m2f, good to firm) and he was on the scoresheet at Chelmsford over this trip in February. It’s his first run on turf since 2019 but he could go well here over this trip with Theodore Ladd taking a handy 3lb off.
Selection: Channel Packet @ 7/1
3.10 – MansionBet Watch And Bet Handicap (5f)
Copinet has a nice profile after three runs (two wins) on the all-weather and sets the standard now switched to grass from an opening handicap mark of 80. She’s likely to be thereabouts but this isn’t straightforward. BATRAAN’s only turf start last season came on debut at York and he was caught out by inexperience. Roger Varian’s colt has gathered plenty of that on the all-weather since, including a win at Southwell in January, and was runner-up at Wolverhampton in first-time cheekpieces (retained) last month under 7lb claimer Gavin Ashton. He’s off the same mark back on turf and can offer more.
Selection: Batraan @ 13/2
3.40 – MansionBet MoreThanTheNational Conditions Stakes (5f)
Victorious on debut at Newcastle, MUKER ran a stormer soon after when 40/1 close third in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot. He then gave away a penalty successfully at York in July and, after a break, ran another super race to finish second in a Group 3 race on the Polytrack at Dundalk in October when taking on older, hardened rivals (beat a neck by Urban Beat). That stands him in excellent stead back amongst his own peer group and he looks the one to be with in this Conditions Stakes.
Selection: Muker @ 7/4
4.10 – MansionBet Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes (Listed, 1m6f)
The 2019 St Leger runner-up Sir Ron Priestly is a fascinating contender here for Mark Johnston, though it’s got to be a concern that he hasn’t run in the intervening 571 days.
Clearly, he’s got a fine chance if reproducing that form. If he’s not quite at that level, OCEAN WIND can take advantage. A smart bumper horse, he won 3-3 on turf last season when switched to this code and looked progressive. His comeback second at Kempton on the Polytrack in February was a rather tactical four-runner affair and he should come on for it. His race-fitness is taken to count for plenty.
Selection: Ocean Wind @ 2/1
4.40 – Download The MansionBet App Handicap (1m½f)
Ayr Harbour ran well on All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield on Friday and has that fitness advantage on his rivals here off a lightweight. However, the likes of Astro King and FINEST SOUND may still prove too classy. The latter won in fine style at Haydock on his reappearance last season and was second-best in the Britannia at Royal Ascot soon after. He ideally might prefer some cut underfoot but has shaped well on good ground and gets the vote given that record fresh.
Selection: Finest Sound @ 13/8
5.10 – MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap (1m2f)
Annandale was agonisingly thwarted at Doncaster on return over this trip and the Australia colt has a clear chance with 5lb officially in hand from an unchanged mark for a Mark Johnston team in flying form. No surprise if he takes the finale. Gordonstoun won his final two starts of last season on soft ground and has more to come if handling this faster surface but marginal preference is for ALBERT CAMUS, in cracking form on the all-weather at Lingfield lately and potentially well-treated back on grass with Benoit De La Sayette taking off a handy 7lb for the Gosdens.
Selection: Albert Camus @ 4/1
*All odds correct at time of writing