Dave Metcalf has over 35 years of experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a life-long horse racing and football fan, and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR frontman for major betting firm Betfred.
Dave has written for At The Races, provided betting previews for the 2010 World Cup via a website he owned. It was the first time they had covered any football event. He also appeared weekly on Sing When You’re Winning – football and general sports betting show on MUTV to provide odds and tips alongside former Manchester United striker Lou Macari.
July Stakes betting tips – Mark Jonhnston’s colt the form pick
Qaader ran a stormer when runner-up last time out, so looks a worthy favourite to go one better and get back to winning ways in the 6f Group 2 July Stakes for juvenile colts at Newmarket on Thursday (15:00).
That came at Royal Ascot where the Mark Johnston trained son of Night Of Thunder found only outsider Nando Parrado a length too good when second of 15 in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes.
Qaader, who looked magnificent beforehand, made good headway to track the leaders two from home travelling strongly in the hands of Jim Crowley.
He then looked the likely winner when produced to challenge at the furlong marker, only to show signs of greenness and wander under pressure close home.
Qaader shaped like the best horse in the race for the majority of the six furlong test and is sure to have learned plenty for the experience.
Prior to that the Hamdan Al Maktoum owned colt had created a big impression when bolting up on debut at Newbury by four lengths in the manner of a hugely exciting prospect.
There is undoubtedly better to come from Qaader and his proven form in the grade is an obvious plus and sets the standard.
So, with Crowley once again in the saddle, Qaader is a strong fancy at the 11/4 on offer with William Hill to get back on the scoresheet.
Yazaman the each-way angle in July Stakes
Tactical is the main danger to Qaader according to the betting, but Yazaman was arguably an unlucky loser when runner-up to Michael Bell’s charge last time out so makes more appeal at the odds on offer.
The pair clashed in the the Listed 5f Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and nothing went right for the William Haggas trained son of Kodiac.
After racing well off the pace in the 18-runner line-up, Yazaman was coming with a strong challenge when encountering trouble in-running at the furlong marker which stopped him in his tracks.
He had to be gathered up by Tom Marquand and switch right to get a gap, but then powered home to go down by just over a length.
Yazaman, who had previously scored in good style on debut at Yarmouth, was gaining hand over fist at the line and the way in which he finished off the race suggested the extra furlong in this would be right up his street.
Tactical also had the run of the race that day, so there are firm reasons given how the race panned out to believe that Yazaman can turn the tables on that rival who is half his odds on the betting.
At 13/2 with Coral, Yazaman therefore looks overpriced and the each-way value in a competitive renewal of the July Stakes where a case can be made for plenty of the 10-runners set to go to post.
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Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes Betting Tips – Class-dropping Enbihaar the one to be on
In the 1m 4f Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes (16:10), Enbihaar looks worth siding with at 5/2 with Unibet to take advantage of a drop in class and make a winning return to action.
This John Gosden trained five-year-old mare improved at a rate of knots throughout last season when winning four of her six starts.
She scored three times at this level – landing the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock, the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood and the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster.
In the last of those at Town Moor the daughter of Redoute’s Choice showed a tremendous attitude to dig deep and beat Delphinia by a short-head.
Connections then pitched Enbihaar into Group 1 company for her final start of the campaign and she ran very well to finish just a length into third behind Epsom Oaks winner Anapurna in the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp.
She had the smart Lah Ti Dar a length behind in fourth and the form of the race reads really well in relation to this lower grade affair.
Enbihaar also receives a handy three pound sex-allowance, and taking it into account comes out 2lb and upwards clear of her seven rivals on adjusted ratings.
It very much makes her the one to beat and the fact that she won first time up last season suggests she is unlikely to be found wanting through lack of fitness.
Dame Malliot a lively outsider in Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes
Dame Malliot hails from the in-form yard of Ed Walker and looks a lively outsider if ready to go at the first time of asking.
This lightly-raced four-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees has won three of her five starts and is one from one over this course and distance.
After shaping as if needed the run when second on seasonal reappearance last year at Chelmsford, Dame Malliott impressively landed a Listed contest at this meeting when running on strongly from off the pace to win going away by five lengths from Spirit Of Appin.
She then showed a good attitude to beat Love So deep by a head in a Group 2 at Deauville, a victory which saw her sent off a heavily-backed favourite to complete the hat-trick in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster when stepped up to 1m 6f for the first time.
However, she failed to live up to expectations and trailed in a well-beaten sixth of eight to Enbihaar.
Dame Malliot is far better than what she showed that day and the drop back in trip , over which she is unbeaten in two starts, is an obvious plus. That fact she was punted off the boards suggests Danme Malliott is clearly held in high regard.
Walker is also operating at a strike rate of 22 per cent in the last 14 days at the time of writing. So at 12/1 with Betvictor, Dame Malliot appeals as the each-way value in the Princess of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes.
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