*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change
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Frank Hickey has narrowed his Sunday selections down to just six stand-out chances as our expert trader picks his best bets around the tracks.
Speaking on the latest episode of Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Frank has several top tips for Newbury and has also thrown a couple of darts at the Scottish National.
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13.00, Newbury – Snow Lantern
Richard Hannon’s SNOW LANTERN hasn’t been seen since last July when she was second on debut to Zabeel Queen at Ascot over 7f. Zabeel Queen went onto finish third in the May Hill Stakes and fifth in the Fillies Mile and this daughter of Frankel has been nibbled at already for the 1,000 Guineas where we saw warm cash for her at 25/1 earlier.
13.50, Ayr – Pilbara
PILBARA stands out a mile for Emmett Mullins. He was progressive when sent handicapping over hurdles, going from a mark of 88 to 122 then had one handicap start over fences when 15/8 at Galway, but that was over 2m2f and his best performances over hurdles were at 3m. He steps up in trip now and the bit of better ground here is no harm at all for him.
14.10, Newbury – Lucid Dreamer (each-way)
Happy Romance, Alcohol Free & Isabella Giles don’t set an insurmountable standard in this Group 3 Fillies Stakes over 7f and there’s every chance that one of the unexposed ones could improve past them.
The one I’m interested in is Roger Charlton’s LUCID DREAMER who, despite running a little green, won on her debut at Kempton beating the now 90-rated Last Sunset, who was giving her 7lbs. She then followed up over course and distance last September easily accounting for Teodolina and Urban Violet who had shown useful form.
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14.45, Newbury – Chindit
The Richard Hannon stable has won this with Barney Roy, Olympic Glory and Dick Turpin and CHINDIT can follow in their footsteps. He won his first three races last season including a listed contest at Ascot and Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster where he looked a Group 1 winner-in-waiting and generated a decent time figure on the day.
He didn’t get the best of runs when a well-beaten ninth in the Dewhurst Stakes but I’m pretty sure the soft ground that day was the main reason for his underperformance. He can get back on track now.
15.35, Ayr – Dingo Dollar/Coup De Pinceau (each-way)
I’ve had DINGO DOLLAR in mind for the Scottish National for some time. I really fancied him for the Ultima at Cheltenham in 2018 but the ground was too soft. He was then just beaten a length by Crosshue Boy at Ayr off a mark of 143 in a 3m handicap. He finished fifth behind De Rasher Counter in the 2019 Ladbroke Trophy but switched from Alan King to Sandy Thompson relatively recently and he bolted up at Newcastle off a mark of 137 last time out. He has an 8lb rise here but has Brian Hughes on board, while Sandy Thompson is a very shrewd trainer. He’s only 2lbs higher than in 2018 and the drier the ground, the better.
COUP DE PINCEAU is ex-Paul Nicholls and switched to Nick Mitchell in December. He improved for the step up to 3½m last time at Taunton when winning really nicely off a mark of 131. He was ridden more patiently there and has Angus Cheleda taking off a handy 7lbs. Drying ground shouldn’t inconvenience him as he has won on good ground, while the yard have had a decent season and this one looks underestimated a fraction. Going left-handed is a little bit of a worry as all his wins are right-handed but price compensates for that.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change
Frank Hickey’s bet summary – Sunday, April 18
13.00, Newbury – Snow Lantern
13.50, Ayr – Pilbara
14.10, Newbury – Lucid Dreamer (each-way)
14.45, Newbury – Chindit
15.35, Ayr – Dingo Dollar/Coup De Pinceau (each-way)
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