Racing tips: 700 mile round trip for Miss Bella Brand catches the eye at Hamilton

This tip has expired. Please check our free horse racing tips section of the website to find the most up to date.

Saturday wasn't the greatest of days for profit. Still, we secured profit with Mitbaahy winning in the hands of David Egan who had a very good day yesterday as did the Varian yard, who seemed to have printed winners left right and centre.

Hamilton 2:00

As Sundays go for racing, today isn't the best day of racing we'll ever see. Normally Sunday includes some good Irish racing and some decent racing in France, but for whatever reason, that's not the case for today. So the first selection of the day comes at the Scottish track of Hamilton, which is one of my favourite tracks to bet at.

The trainer, Mrs Ilka Gansera Leveque sends one runner from her base in Newmarket to Hamilton which is a round trip of around 700 miles, which is an extremely long journey. There would have been more local opportunities for her runner, MISS BELLA BRAND, so it's of notice that they are willing to travel this kind of distance to find a race which they think is winnable. For a smaller yard to go this far, shows they must think they are going there with a very strong chance as at the moment it's very difficult for trainers to stay afloat, as we've seen with trainers calling it a day in recent years, most recently Joe Tuite has to stop operations. So to be prepared to spend plenty of diesel to go to Hamilton they must be expecting a return from their runner.

Even though the distance that she will be travelling seems like a tip in itself, her recent form is decent to suggest she is on a good handicap mark of 69. She has won or been placed on her last seven runs, which shows the consistency. Her recent 2nd/11 at Ascot in a Class 4 is arguably a career best in that type of race where she was beaten by Sound Of Iona who has been in the form of her life in recent months, going from a 63 rated horse to now being rated 83, which is some going at the age of 6. That horse went close in a Class 2 at Ascot in her next race, so it goes to show she was ahead of her handicap mark off 77 in the Class 4 event, so finishing behind her in 2nd spot is nothing to be ashamed of.

Saffie Osbourne takes the ride, which means 3lbs is taken off the weight as Saffie is still an apprentice. She is a very capable rider, shown by the fact she was the leading jockey in the Racing League, which saw her land a nice 20k (I think) bonus.

This race has a few who come into it with good chances, so I'm happy enough to play Miss Bella Brand as an EW bet at the current odds of 7/1.

Dortmund 1:30

This won't be for everyone, so if it doesn't float your boat then you clearly don't have to follow the selection. I've gone for a selection in the German St Leger as I think the favourite has a very strong chance of winning this, so despite the fact he is probably shorter than ideal, he has the form in the bag to win this.

TUNNES is a half-brother to last year's Arc winner, Torquato Tasso, so the pedigree is definitely there for this horse to win a race of this nature. This is a Group 3, so not exactly the best race in the world, and the RPRs of recent winners of this race have been between 101 – 108 which is lower than the 115 this horse produced last time out at Baden-Baden. This trip is an unknown, as it is for his half-brother Torquato Tasso, but as we saw last year in the Arc he stays 12f very well, as in the manner of a horse who would get further, and I think similar things can be said about this horse.

Soft ground is clearly something which is needed in this horse's pedigree, and with Dortmund expecting rain every hour until the race starts the ground should get pretty testing, which will be what this horse wants. He is short in the market, but I think he is one you can say will be tough to beat and as a 3yo there is definitely more progression to come.

Horse Racing Tips

🔗 Share Your Horse Racing Tips on Social Media