John Burke – Page 32 – Victor Value

Victor’s Friday Preview – October 7th 2022

Hi all,

Outside of a Saturday we don’t normally have as much competitive racing as we have this Friday. Looking at the races, I will probably have more selections today than on Saturday.

Newmarket’s two-day Dubai Future Champions festival begins with the first five races on an eight race card being live on ITV4, including the feature bet365 Fillies’ Mile (3.35). ITV4 are also covering three races from York and two from day one of Chepstow’s Unibet Jump Season Opener Meeting.

Too many races to preview today so I have decided to concentrate on those races where I have selections. Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Ayr Selection – Thursday October 6th 2022

Hi all,

It’s been a quiet week for the service. However, things are going to heat up on Friday and Saturday.

It’s the highlight of Newmarket’s autumn season this weekend with seven group races across the Friday and the Saturday. For older readers the meeting was known as Newmarket’s Cesarewitch Meeting. The meeting has been rebranded as Dubai Future Champions Festival and you can see why. Although the marathon Cesarewitch Handicap is still around and is the highlight for most punters, half of the races over the two days are for the juveniles. The feature race on Friday is the Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile. On Saturday besides the marathon handicap the highlight is the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

It’s the final two days of flat racing at York on Friday & Sunday. It doesn’t seem that long since we were looking forward to the start of the Dante Meeting. Saturday’s big race at York is the normally ultra-competitive Coral Sprint Trophy.

For National Hunt fans the winter jumps season is about to start in earnest. On Friday it’s day one of the Unibet Jump Season Opener at Chepstow. This meeting has now become the unofficial start of the winter jumps season in the UK.

Viewers of ITV are in for a Friday treat with the broadcaster covering no less than ten races live from Newmarket, York, and Chepstow. On Saturday they will be covering the best of the action from Newmarket & York on a seven race programme.

I have a selection at Ayr’s Thursday card.

Victor’s Arc Day Preview – Sunday October 2nd 2022

Hi all,

My good run came to an end yesterday, but I thought Asjad ran a cracker to finish third in Ascot’s Peroni Nastro Azzurro Challenge Cup (Heritage Handicap). If I had known, he would drift out to 22/1 I would have put him up each-way.

All eyes on at Longchamp on Sunday. However, there’s also a decent mixed flat/NH card at Tipperary. The highlight’s being the Group 3 Coolmore US Navy Flag Concorde Stakes (2:25) and two jumps Grade 3’s the highlights of an eight race card.

Inside today’s main piece I have concentrated on the five Group 1’s on the Longchamp card.

Victor’s Saturday Preview – October 1st 2022

Hi all,

A great end to September and considering where we were in the mid-month it was remarkable turnaround.

The start of a new month and what a cracker of weekend. The highlight of the Newmarket card is the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (2.42)

Meanwhile across the Channel it’s the start of Arc weekend with two Group 1s at Longchamp – the 1m6f Prix du Royallieu and the Prix du Cadran over 2m4f. The latter race sees Kyprios take on Quickthorn.

There is Group 3 action from Ascot with the Peroni Nastro Azzurro Cumberland Lodge Stakes (2.25) and the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes (3.00).

Redcar also hosts it most valuable card of the season with the highlight being the William Hill Two Year Old Trophy (3.21) which has £85,065 on offer to the winner.

It gets even better quality wise at Longchamp on Sunday. Besides the Arc there are another five Group 1’s on the card. As I mentioned earlier in the week Arc Day is arguably the best day’s racing in Europe. ITV are covering four races live from Longchamp on Sunday.

I have selections from Newmarket and Ascot and today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Friday Selections – September 30th 2022

Hi all,

The end of September and a third successive profitable month for the service to early prices/BOG. Mind you it was needed after June turned out to be a shocker.

The weekend’s action gets off to good start with a decent six race card at Ascot. The highlight being the Listed Peroni Nastro Azzurro Noel Murless Stakes (3.45). The going at Ascot was being described as good on Thursday evening and I’m hoping the forecast heavy rain arrives after racing on Friday. There’s also a fair card at Dundalk this evening

I have had a look at three races from Ascot and two from Dundalk in Friday’s preview. Today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Nottingham and Kempton Selections – September 28th 2022

Hi all,

It is Jockey Club Grassroots Series Finals Day at Nottingham with five £30,000 handicaps from 6f to 1m6f. It’s good prize money for modest horses which is good to see. I will be having some bets on the Nottingham card

The best race of the quality wise isn’t at Nottingham though its at Kempton this evening. The 1m Class 2 Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Handicap (6:00) looks a hot little race. That contest and the Class 3 London Middle Distance Qualifier (6:30) make Kempton’s evening card of plenty of interest.

I have selections from both Nottingham and Kempton and today’s betting advice can be found at the end of today’s preview.

Victor’s Curragh Preview – Sunday September 24th 2022

Hi all,

There’s some good action at the Curragh on Sunday. The Irish Cesarewitch (4:15) headlines the card and has €600,000 in guaranteed prize money. The huge prize money on offer means a field of 30 are set to meet the starter. Besides the feature handicap there’s also Group 3 action with the William Hill Ireland Renaissance Stakes (3.05) and Weld Park Stakes (3.40). Art Power won last year’s Renaissance Stakes and is strong favourite to win the race for a second year running.

Besides the Curragh there’s also the Class 2 Universal Hardwear Supplies Bath Summer Series Stayers Final Handicap (3:50). Normally run at Bath but due to not been able to water that track the race has been moved to Ffos Las. At Epsom it’s the final fixture of the season with the feature race being the Class 3 Stanley Wootton Handicap (2.50).

In today’s preview I have had a look at the three big races at the Curragh.

Victor’s Saturday Preview – September 24th 2022

Hi all,

I’m sending this out early as I’m out an event this evening.

The two-year-olds take centre stage at Newmarket today. The Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (2.25) and Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (3.00) add some real quality to the card.

Just two of the seven races on the Newmarket card are open to non-juveniles. However, one of the is the big betting race of the day the bet365 Cambridgeshire Handicap (3.40). This historic handicap has over £100,000 on offer to the winner and has attracted 29 runners.

Besides the first four races on the Newmarket card. ITV are also covering two races from the Curragh and Haydock. The feature race at the Curragh is the one mile Group 2 Beresford Stakes (1.35) but it doesn’t look the strongest renewal of this juvenile race. The other Curragh race on ITV is also for juveniles. The Goffs Million (3.20) is only open to horses sold at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale. There’s €611,000 on offer to the winner of this 7f contest and given there’s €1,234,000 in guaranteed prize money not surprisingly the race has attracted a big field of 2-year-olds.

The two races on ITV from Haydock are both handicaps. Although not on ITV, Chester hosts the first running of the Watergate Cup (Handicap) (3.25). There’s £100,000 in guaranteed prize money and the good prize money means the track has been rewarded with sixteen runners.

In today’s preview I have had a look at the four Newmarket races on ITV and the two from Haydock. Saturday’s betting advice is at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Newmarket and Listowel Selections – Friday September 23rd 2022

Hi all,

I’m glad I decided to go for a couple of selections at Listowel. Enough rain arrived to turn the ground soft and that suited Lord Erskine who won the concluding handicap on the card. We could have done without a 25p Rule 4 deduction but when it’s advised at 20/1, we can live with it. Azure Blue also landed the 2pt win bet in the 6f fillies’ handicap at Newmarket to make it a fantastic day for the service.

The field sizes are a little better on day two of the Cambridgeshire Meeting at Newmarket.

Three Group races and two Listed contests feature on Friday’s seven race card. The feature races being the Group 2 Dubai Rockfel Stakes (2:25) and the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes (3.35).

Haydock seven-race card has a couple of competitive handicaps. Meanwhile for jumps fans there’s the Fixed Brush Hurdle Series Final Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (3.40) at Worcester. Run over 2m 4f it has £70,000 in guaranteed prize money and has attracted a good sized field of 13 hurdlers. Across the Irish Sea its more jumps action at the Listowel Festival with the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Listowel (2.15) the highlight of a competitive eight-race card. At Dundalk the Listed Diamond Stakes (7:00) is the highlight of an eight race evening fixture on the all-weather

ITV are covering four races from Newmarket and three from Haydock this afternoon on a seven race programme. In today’s preview I have had a look the four ITV races from Newmarket and the Listowel feature race. As ever today’s betting advice can be found at the end of the main piece.

Victor’s Newmarket and Listowel Selections – Thursday 22nd September 2022

Hi all,

I thought Hewick was coming to win the Kerry National when he made a mistake at the last and unseated his jockey. I’m biased of course but I think he would have won but for that mistake. Still, he was in the process of running a fine race under his big weight. However, all credit to the winner Busselton who found plenty for pressure on the run in. There was a sad postscript to the race as

The Cambridgeshire Meeting gets underway at Newmarket this afternoon. The Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes (3.00) is the feature race of an eight-race card which also includes the Listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes (3.35).

There’s more action at the Listowel Festival. It’s another flat card with the best race being the Listowel Printing Works (Premier Handicap) (4:20). A word of warning, if you’re having a bet at Listowel 20mm is being forecast to hit the track overnight and on Thursday morning.