Barry Robson Marks Your Card..

Top Tipster Barry Robson Previews the weekend’s racing action and gives you his bets bets

Strawberrydaiquiri The Selection For Valiant Stakes at York

Fast-improving three-year-old Strawberrydaiquiri will challenge the older fillies for the first time in Friday’s EBF Transformers And Rectifiers Valiant Stakes.The grey, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by Renata Jacobs, impressed many with her comfortable victory in the Coral Distaff on Eclipse day at Sandown where we backed her heavily.

Gary Coffey, the owner’s racing manager, said: “She’s in good form and Sir Michael says she has come out of her last race well. She carries a penalty here but we feel she is entitled to take her chance.”

She`ll be no price but I`m confident she`ll take all of the beating and should be in your combo` bets if you`re squeamish about backing her singly.

Nine Remain In King George Showdown On Saturday

Sir Michael Stoute and Aidan O’Brien dominate the field for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes with three entries apiece. Stoute fields leading fancies Conduit and Tartan Bearer, third in the Eclipse and second in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes respectively, as well as Coronation Cup hero Ask in the Betfair-sponsored feature.One major bookmaker has already revised its prices following news that Cima De Triomphe became the latest casualty for the Ascot showpiece.Conduit has been cut to 13/8 from 7/4, while Golden Sword (4/1 from 9/2) and Look Here (6/1 from 7/1) have also seen their prices trimmed in the diminishing Group 1 field.

Sir Michael Stoute admits it is hard to split Conduit and Tartan Bearer. The former will go into the race as favourite with his stablemate the second favourite in the betting.However, Stoute is getting no clues at home as to which of his charges will come out on top.

“They have never done serious work together. Conduit wouldn’t be spectacular at home but a little more generous than Tartan Bearer who leans towards the lazy side, I’m not in the tipping business, my job is to get them there in the best physical and mental shape I can but I don’t think there’ll be much between them.”

My selection is Tartan Bearer albeit Ryan Moore has sided with Conduit. Don`t ask me why either, I just do!

A Big Weekend of Racing for Barry Robson...

Diana`s Choice Heads Abu Dhabi International List

Mike de Kock’s South African raider Diana’s Choice leads a 22-strong charge for the Abu Dhabi International. The five-year-old mare will shoulder top weight under Pat Cosgrave as she drops back from Pattern-race company for this richly-endowed handicap. De Kock also fields Stubbs Art in a race that also features ante-post favourite Captain Brilliance from Jeremy Noseda’s yard.

Roaring Forte, well fancied for the Royal Hunt Cup before being controversially withdrawn at the start, bids to atone for that disappointment, while a number of trainers are double-handed. Michael Jarvis has yet to saddle the winner of the Abu Dhabi International but, in my opinion, he has a live chance with Taqdeyr.The lightly-raced four-year-old was last seen finishing second to subsequent Group Three placed runner Doncaster Rover at Haydock earlier in the month.Taqdeyr did not enjoy the clearest passage that day either, leaving Jarvis full of hope the switch back up to seven furlongs, combined with a little luck, can yield big-race glory. Jarvis said;

“He looked a little bit unfortunate at Haydock as he did get a bit of a bump, The winner won well, though, and he (Doncaster Rover) ran pretty well at Newbury last week so the form looks pretty solid. I think seven furlongs is his better trip but he wouldn’t want the ground too firm at Ascot. It would be to his advantage if there were a drop or two of rain before Saturday but the weather is unsettled so it is hard to tell if he will get it.”

Elsewhere, York course specialist River Falcon will try to win the Sky Bet Dash at the fourth at attempt. Jim Goldie’s nine-year-old has been out of luck since winning at the Knavesmire in August 2007 and he has been unsuccessful in this six-furlong contest in 2004, 2007 and 2008. His best effort came last summer when he was sixth behind Lesson In Humility. However, the 14-1 shot with the sponsors showed his well-being when finishing third to Pavershooz at Ayr on Monday.

Biniou will attempt to maintain his unbeaten record for this season in the same race. Before this term, the six-year-old had only won once for Robert Cowell since his transfer from France at the start of 2007, but has now hit a rich seam of form. A horse who likes to be able to dig his toe in, he scored at Thirsk in May and followed up at Newmarket last Saturday.Cowell reported:

“As long as the ground (currently good to soft) stays the same he’ll run. He’s in super form…he’s absolutely loving it at the moment.”

Predictably for a six-furlong sprint, there is a plethora of Dandy Nicholls entries.The Thirsk trainer has four chances, Tajneed, Valery Borzov, Something and Striking Spirit.Biniou, my choice, is currently a 12/1 chance with the sponsors with Viking Spirit a market mover on Thursday. He is 14/1 from 16s.

Peter Chapple-Hyam hopes the rains stays away ahead of the Sky Bet York Stakes.He runs Monitor Closely, a fancy of mine for some time now, who finished third to Glass Harmonium in the Listed Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.  He said;

“Monitor Closely seems in good form and if the rain stays away we will be taking him to York on Saturday. He likes fast ground, so he would not want it wet on the Knavesmire, I wound him up a little bit at home before Royal Ascot, I possibly made him a little bit too keen and it showed in the race. The aim is to get him settled and in a nice rhythm at York. He wants 10 furlongs at the moment, so this race is ideal, and we’ll see whether he wants further as the season progresses.”

Barry The Milkman Robson Weekend Selections:

Friday:
Ascot : Strawberrydaiquiri

Saturday:
York :   Taqdeyr and Biniou (Each Way) plus  Monitor Closely (if rain stays away)

Ascot : Tartan Bearer

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