John Burke – Page 20 – Victor Value

Victor’s Bank Monday Preview – May 1st 2023

Hi all,

A poor day on Sunday but my excuse is that rain that softened the ground at Musselburgh didn’t suit my four selections. They had been watering to maintain in the days leading up to the meeting and then more rain than forecast fell on Sunday, and they ran the soft ground.

The service ended up in a profit which didn’t seem likely after the first week in April so I’m hoping I can get May off to a better start.

It’s a Bank Holiday in Britain & Ireland on Monday. There’s a good card at the Curragh but the racing this side of the Irish Sea isn’t great although there’s a couple of interesting handicap chases at Kempton for the start of the new jumps season. The rest of Monday’s racing in Britain is dreadful and I haven’t even looked at any of the races.

In today’s main piece I have previewed the four pattern races at the Curragh and have selections from a couple of those races as well as two of the handicaps on the Curragh card.

Victor’s Sky Bet Sunday Series Musselburgh Preview – Sunday April 30th 2023

Hi all,

A pre Monday Bank Holiday treat with the first leg of the Sky Bet Sunday Series which heads to Musselburgh for the first time.

I’m playing catch up today after my day at Ripon yesterday so don’t have time to go into too much detail but here are a few pointers in a short preview of the Musselburgh card.

Victor’s Saturday Preview – April 29th 2023

Hi all,

The curtain descends on the British & Irish jumps seasons at Sandown and Punchestown this afternoon. It’s Finale Day at Sandown when this season’s top trainer and jockey will be crowned. Paul Nicholls is once again Champion Trainer and Brian Hughes has long had the jockey’s title in the bag.

I will not be watching the racing from the sofa this afternoon as I’m off to Ripon this afternoon. I will be having some bets on the Ripon card but given I will not be placing any bets until before the races I won’t be looking at those races in today’s preview. Instead, I will concentrate on the seven races live on ITV. Starting with the big betting race of the weekend the Bet365 Gold Cup.

Apologies in advance but this Saturday’s preview is an exceptionally long one. It’s long because it’s a day brim-full of quality racing.

Victor’s Friday Preview – April 28th 2023

Hi all,

It’s a case of quality action on the flat and over jumps today. At Sandown we have the Group 2 bet365 Mile (3.00), the Group 3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (2:25) and there could be classic clues on offer in the Group 3 bet365 Classic Trial (3.35).

It’s day four of the Punchestown Festival and we have two Group 1’s. The Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (5:25) and the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (6:00). It’s the final day of Perth’s three day BetVictor Festival with the feature race being the BetVictor Highland National Handicap Chase (2:05).

The ITV Racing cameras are covering four races from Sandown and two from Perth on a six race programme this afternoon.

Victor’s Punchestown Preview – Day 3 – Thursday April 27th 2023

Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I look at the best of the action at the Punchestown Festival.

Victor’s Punchestown Festival – Day 2 Preview – Wednesday April 26th 2023

Hi all,

I’m focusing on day two of the Punchestown Festival and today’s selections and betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Punchestown and Epsom Preview – Tuesday April 25th 2023

Hi all,

The Punchestown Festival gets underway today and we also have a good flat card at Epsom on Tuesday afternoon. There are three Grade 1 contests on an eight race card at Punchestown with the most valuable being the William Hill Champion Chase (5:25) which has €177,000 on offer to the winner.

A six race Epsom card includes the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial (2:25) and two very historic handicaps the City And Suburban Handicap (3:00) and Great Metropolitan Handicap (3:35). Bot the latter races have lost plenty of their gloss in recent years but the line-ups for both contests are good.

I have selections from both Punchestown and Epsom which can be found at the end of today’s preview.

Victor’s Monday Selections – April 24th 2023

Hi all,

On the eve of the Punchestown Festival there’s Class 2 handicap (3:00) at Pontefract on Monday which has attracted a good sized field. And there are two Class 3 handicap chases at Kempton which have attracted competitive fields. The day’s most valuable card is at Naas where today’s feature is the Listed Woodlands Stakes (6:40).

There’s some rain forecast for Pontefract where the going was being described as good to soft on Sunday afternoon. There’s also some rain forecast for Naas where the going was soft, heavy in places on Sunday.

There’s a bit of uncertainty about how much rain there will be at Kempton. The weather app I consult suggests 10mm of rain on Monday. They have been watering at Kempton and on Sunday the going was described as good. However, if the rain does arrive in the forecast amounts it will ease the going.

Not only do we have the Punchestown Festival bringing down the curtain on the 2022-23 Irish Jumps season this week. But we also see the end of the British NH season at Sandown on Saturday.

Whilst anticipating plenty of action on the betting front this week, I have seen enough from Monday’s action to tempt me in.

Victor’s Saturday Betting Advice – April 22nd 2023

Hi all,

Here’s Saturday’s selections and betting advice.

Victor’s Saturday Preview – April 22nd 2023

Hi all,

For the third successive weekend we have a Grand National to enjoy. Today is the turn of the Scottish Grand National (3:35) at Ayr. Let’s hope the race is dramatic for the right reasons rather than what we had at Aintree seven days ago.

There’s good supporting card of races at Ayr including a good renewal of the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle (2:25).

Besides Ayr. The ITV cameras are also covering four races from Newbury including the the John Porter Stakes (1.30), and two Guineas Trials: the Fred Darling Stakes (2.05) & Greenham Stakes (2.40)

In this preview I’m looking at all the races on ITV this afternoon. Saturday’s selections and betting advice will be with you later.