Saturday horse racing tips: four picks from Dave Nevison
Our pundit and resident website tipster Dave Nevison likes four runners to try and boost the weekend coffers, including one from Musselburgh. Enjoy the Flat action as well as the return of the jumps at Navan live on Racing TV.
6.00 Musselburgh: Showtime Mahomes
Grant Tuer has his string in top form and it is about time that Showtime Mahomes hit form again.
The four-year-old last won off a mark of 77 last spring and although he has run plenty of poor races since (mainly when the yard was out of form) he signalled that his turn was near with a strong finishing effort at Thirsk last time out.
Showtime Mahomes is now on a career-low mark of 70 and, although he is drawn widest of all here, this habitual slow-starter shouldn’t be massively inconvenienced - especially as this race looks set to be run at a pace. A market move would be very encouraging given the form of the yard.
2.25 Doncaster: Kimngrace and Makanah
I am more than happy to have two stabs at the Portland Handicap with Doncaster’s cavalry charge on St Leger day looking as wide open as ever.
Kimngrace is a Listed winner after scoring on her return this year on the all-weather back in March but hasn’t proven up to the same grade in three subsequent starts on turf, but she has gradually improved on her last three starts down in handicap company after an extended break and definitely signalled last time that she was ready to strike soon.
Kimngrace met trouble in running but stayed on well to finish a closing eighth in a valuable fillies’ handicap and this track will suit her come-from-behind running style and for a stable in great form.
The question is if she handles the soft ground (apparently rain is unlikely at Doncaster on Friday and Saturday so it should be drying), but my hunch is that if Kimngrace is on form she will handle it.
Makanah has not proven a frequent winner in recent seasons but he’s usually managed to get some place money on the occasions that I’ve put him up and things could work out well for him here.
This will be the third time he has run in this race and he has finished a good 6th and 7th off higher marks previously. He ran particularly well in 2019, where was on his own from stall one and ended up beaten only 1 ¾ lengths.
Makanah has a better draw in stall 18 this time and with pace nearby on both sides and, like Kimngrace, he was another to show good form at York last time when running very well from a modest draw. Hopefully Callum Rodriguez can make it two from two aboard the gelding here.
5.20 Doncaster: Titian
He has every chance of running up to his best with conditions ideal.
A stiff mile on softish ground would seem to be perfect for Titian and this course winner once again demonstrated a liking for Doncaster when he ran an excellent second in the Spring Mile at the first meeting of the season. Narrowly beaten in that contest, he’s back on the same mark now.
Trainer Julie Camacho has not been in firing in the winners of late and that is for sure, but we have landed on Pendleton at a massive price and Super Star placed at a big price for the yard recently and I am not convinced things are as bad as they might appear. The stable has had few runners recently but have 20 entries over the coming days so they clearly think they are worth running and I feel there is a chance of bagging another at a price here.
