Talking Horses: The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus our weekly tipping competition

The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus our weekly tipping competition

3.20pm Moore is fourth on return to action

Chris Cook: Ryan Moore finished fourth in a Salisbury maiden on his return to the track after a wrist injury. Riding Caraboss in the Queen's colours, Moore found his mount getting outpaced in mid-race before running on well at the end.

There was a lot of support for Godolphin's Khawlah, sent off the even-money favourite, but she was in trouble after starting slowly and getting trapped on the rail at the rear. Naturally, she ran on strongly when it was too late to catch Brian Meehan's Shim Sham (33-1). Sympathy to you favourite-backers.

Win VIP tickets to the Ayr Gold Cup

For anyone who doesn't win this week's competition, you've got a second bite at the cherry. Enter our online competition to win VIP tickets to the Ayr Gold Cup here.

Tim Vaughan's thoughts on Am I Blue

Chris Cook: Here's a posting I put on the blog last night, which I'm sticking up here as well in case anyone missed it who may be interested. I called Tim Vaughan to ask for his thoughts on Am I Blue, who landed an amazing gamble at Hereford yesterday, and he was happy to discuss it.

Vaughan trained the filly from last autumn until the end of March, at which point Am I Blue was sold by her owner, David Lovell, to Delyth Thomas, who trains a few miles from Vaughan's yard.

Vaughan didn't manage to get Am I Blue to win from five attempts over hurdles but she ran respectably, producing form figures of 32553. She appeared to have completely lost her form in three runs for Thomas, in all of which she was tailed off, before hacking up yesterday when well backed.

Vaughan said he had always felt the filly had ability but that she was too high in the weights. "She was very consistent with me but she was running off a mark of 100," he said. "Since she left me, she's been dropped a considerable amount."

That last point is perfectly true. Having still been on a rating of 100 when running for Thomas in June, Am I Blue had been dropped 17lb to yesterday's mark of 83.

Vaughan also feels that the horse has improved for today's step up to two and a half miles. He thought, when she was in his yard, that this might be the case, but could find no suitable races over further than two miles for such a young horse.

"She had better form with me than she's shown today, but off higher marks," Vaughan said. "I saw her in the paper today and I thought, good God, running off 83 and over two and a half miles, she'll be thrown in.

"We always thought she was a decent enough little horse but she was exposed. At the time, she was handicapped to what she was. Today, she was running off a mark of 83 and I should think she'll probably go straight back up to 100 again and she'll struggle. Well, she might be competitive, but she certainly won't be thrown in.

"She was very consistent with me and, if she'd stayed here, she'd probably still be on 100. Well, regrettably, owners don't want to keep paying to be third.

Today's best bets, by Will Hayler

There's a bug going round, as my mum used to say. On Tuesday it was Richard Hughes and now it's Kieren Fallon who's too unwell to ride. Could it be that Ryan Moore, due to return from his own three-and-a-half-week spell on the sidelines might pick up a spare ride or two at Salisbury this afternoon?

I've had my say on yesterday's Hereford shenanigans elsewhere, but I wasn't feeling any happier last night when Carlton Scroop obliged at Kempton to complete the second half of what would have been a tasty double with Northern Lad, the horse who was unfortunate enough to run into Am I Blue. There's no point crying over spilt milk, though, and I'm sure that even now the British Horseracing Authority's team are setting to work to establish whether there is any evidence of anything untoward having taken place.

Up at Redcar today, Soviet Secret (3.40) looks a fair each-way price at 9-1 to cover the petrol money for Newmarket trainer Charlie McBride. Despite having a run of 2s next to his name in the formbook, he doesn't seem to be doing much wrong at the business end of his races and gave subsequent winner Wake Up Call a real fight at Yarmouth two runs ago.

If you forgive his first-ever below-par effort when favourite at Newmarket on his latest start, he looks sure to get involved today and the booking of 5lb-claimer Adam Beschizza (whose name I have heard pronounced a dozen different ways) helps offset the rather harsh hike in the weights he received for that penultimate run.

Margot Did is likely to be over-bet as she steps down in grade at Salisbury, after looking most unfortunate not to get her head in front in Group races on her last two starts. Punters who backed her at York last month will, understandably, want to get their money back in today's Dick Poole Stakes at 3.40pm and she is certainly the likeliest winner by far but, at around the even-money mark, I'd be too worried about the unexposed nature of her opposition to get involved.

Returning to Polytrack and seven furlongs should suit Medicean Man (8.20) at Wolverhampton tonight, Jeremy Gask's runner having caught the eye making late gains to finish just outside the frame at Ripon last time out. Still lightly raced enough to have further improvement left to offer, he was understandably unable to get on terms previously at Royal Ascot, but this evening's contest looks much more his cup of tea.

Earlier on the card, Figaro Flyer (5.45) takes the eye. He has come back down to a mark from which he can win and might well have done so at this track last time out, but for meeting trouble in running.

Tipping competition, day four

This week's prize is the one goofs wants, he said yesterday morning, and then tipped two winners out of three. Frosted Grape (4-1) and Phluke (9-2) have taken him a bit closer to Ayr, though the real mover yesterday was millreef, who had Phluke and Mrs Mogg (8-1).

Today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 3.50 Salisbury, 4.35 Epsom, 4.50 Redcar.

This week's prize is a pair of tickets to the top enclosure on Ayr Gold Cup day, Saturday 18 September, generously offered by William Hill, who sponsor the great sprint handicap.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.

For terms and conditions click here.

Good luck!

Standings after day one

donlewis +12.50

londonpatrick +10.50

MauriceNL +8.50

JahLion +8.50

Woadboy +8

goofs +7

xwireman +6.50

TheVic +6.50

millreef +5.50

chrishol +3

chris1623 +3

DrSativa +3

tom1977 +2

Ellandback +1.50

BearRides +0

sangfroid +0

chiefhk -2.50

erifder -2.50

Copshaw -2.50

moidadembums -3.50

diegoisgod -3.50

coma88 -3.50

Rivercity -3.50

Mulldog -3.50

sandiuk -3.50

pops2 -3.50

WalthamstowLad -3.50

MrPositive -4

carl31 -4

melonk -4

titusisashambles -4.50

Ormrod76 -4.50

slackdad38 -4.50

JDK1 -9

23skidoo -9

Viejo -9

Cairo -9

leviticus67 -9

Onmeheadson -9

Shrewdette -9

15244 -9

snowy81 -9

suckzinclee -9

drupat -9

Rollneck -9

TL127 -9

peterpickum -9

MISTERCHESTER -9

Templegate -9

Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.

Click here for today's latest odds.

And post your tips and racing-related comments below.

Contributor

Will Hayler

The GuardianTramp

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