Horsebetting.com experts provide their 2018 Melrose Handicap betting tips and say the progressive Supernova is worth a bet to land the hat-trick. Corgi has some solid form in the book and rates the main danger in the 1m 6f contest on Saturday, 25 August. Making Miracles is a consistent sort and appeals each-way. For full reasons why, read our in-depth 2018 Melrose Handicap betting tips preview.Supernova makes plenty of appeal in MelroseSupernova has a progressive profile and looks ahead of his mark, so looks worth a bet at the odds on offer to land a typically wide-open renewal of the 1m 6f Melrose Handicap on the final day of the York Ebor Festival on Saturday (14:25). This David Simcock trained colt shaped with plenty of promise in two runs as a juvenile, looking the type that would come into his own as a three-year-old.
That view has been confirmed with the son of Intello winning both his starts this season. In the first of those over an extended 1m 3f at Goodwood, Supernova stayed on strongly to beat Soto Sizzler by a length and the runner-up has since gone to beat Corgi, who runs in this, by a length in a competitive 10-runner handicap at the same venue off a rating of 79.
Supernova was allotted an opening handicap mark of 81 on the back of that success and had little difficulty following up off it over 1m 4f at Doncaster. He was slowly away at Town Moor, but regular jockey Jamie Spencer oozed confidence throughout and brought him with a steady run from well-off the pace to take up the running at the furlong marker.
After staying on powerfully, Supernova then won going away easily by 1 1/2 lengths. The way in which he hit the line hard suggested that there was stacks left in the locker, so the extra two furlongs of this may well bring about more improvement.
If that proves the case, then a 5lb rise in the weights could be very lenient. Supernova is clearly thriving and a revised rating of 86 could seriously underestimate his ability; so, with Spencer once again in the saddle, there is nothing not to like about his profile for this test, thus he had to be the main selection in our 2018 Melrose Handicap betting tips.Corgi holds solid claimsCorgi has posted some really solid efforts this season and rates the main danger to Supernova now stepped up in trip. After opening his account in determined fashion over 1m 2d at Sandown, the Hughie Morrison trained three-year-old ran a stormer when a neck second of 18 to Baghdad in the King George V Stakes over 1m 4f – getting chinned in the dying strides.
If you’ve read previous guides like our Leopardstown betting tips guide you’ll know that paying attention to form is important, and the form of that race looks strong as the fourth home Cross Counter has gone on to land the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood (breaking the track record in the process), before finishing a fine head second to Old Persian in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes her earlier in the week.
Corgi backed up that fine effort with a solid second to the aforementioned Soto Sizzler at Goodwood last time out. The son of So You Think went down by just a length and was attempting to give 15lb to the winner; so, on a line through Soto Sizzler, there is little to choose between Corgi and Supernova whom he has to give 10lb to in this.
A bold bid looks assured and Corgi shapes as if well worth a try and the 1m 6f trip of this. However, he is more exposed than Supernova and doesn’t have the same scope of that rival, so that’s why he is narrowly overlooked in favour of the Simock inmate.Making Miracles a big each-way playerMaking Miracles finished just half-a-length behind Corgi when third in the Goodwood race win by Soto Sizzler and now meets that rival on 1lb better terms. That means that there is very little to split the pair, so this Mark Johnston trained son of Pivotal makes plenty of each-way appeal from a punting perspective.
Prior to that effort, the three-year-old had notched a second success of the season when easily beating stable companion Austrian School by three lengths in a competitive 11-runner affair at Haydock. After racing at the head of affairs throughout, Making Miracles took up the running two from home and shot clear; he then never looked like getting reeled in at an stage and scored with real authority.
It was a very taking display and the race was over the 1m 6f trip of this, so there are no stamina doubts regarding this ultra-tough Johnson inmate. Indeed he is 1-1 over it so it may well prove to be his optimum journey. Making Miracles is a consistent sort looks sure to give this his best shot, so we had no hesitation making him the each-way selection in our 2018 Melrose Stakes betting tips.Your Next Bet
