@TheTippingTim’s Weekend Bets

What has happened to football?  This morning there was a thirty-minute programme on the telly to cover the Champions League semi-final draw.  The ending was somewhat spoilt because the brighter members of the audience worked out what tie two was going to be after they had drawn tie one, but that didn’t stop the Coral football boys crowding round the telly for the whole show.  Fortunately this ludicrous interlude gave me a bit of peace and quiet to study tomorrow’s cracking Newbury card, and I reckon I’ve found a couple of bets to pay off all my Aintree losses.

The nap tomorrow has to be old favourite J Wonder in the Fred Darling (2.20 Newbury).  Brian Meehan’s filly looked like a superstar on her first two starts, but she ran like a hairy yak on her Group race debut at York and hasn’t been seen since.  When an unexposed horse is beaten I much prefer it if they fall out the back of the telly, and J Wonder was beaten before half way that day so it can’t have been her running.  All women have an off day (my wife had eight last week), and I fully expect J Wonder to knock this off on the way to Guineas glory in May.

The next best tomorrow is Lat Hawill in the Greenham (2.55 Newbury).  The dogs were barking this one’s name (at least, those who could pronounce it were) before his Newcastle debut, and he put up the most impressive sporting display seen in the North East since David Ginola moved to London.  I can’t remember seeing a more impressive debut and, even though he beat trees, I fully believe the hype now and I will be hopping aboard the bandwagon tomorrow.

For the Trixie I will take a chance on Tinghir in the super-competitive mile handicap at 3.30.  He was progressive on soft ground last year and, having endured a nightmare passage when sixth at Newmarket in November, he begins 2014 on a mark that he can exploit.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend!