Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Saturday, April 3
Nate The Great (Musselburgh, nap, 3.35) may have some way to go before matching the illustrious achievements of basketball Hall Of Famer Nate Thurmond, but victory in the Betway Queen’s Cup would be a start.
Carrying the nickname of one of the NBA’s greatest players was always going to be tough to pull off for the son of Nathaniel, but the early signs were promising when he was narrowly beaten in the 2018 Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot following a tidy debut win at Carlisle.
There have been flashes of excellence since, but a 17-race career has yielded just three victories, which perhaps represents underachievement for a horse which promised plenty as a juvenile.
Sportsmail’s racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Saturday’s meetings
The most recent of those wins was at least recorded at Wolverhampton last time in the hands of promising apprentice William Carver, who displayed his tactical acumen to steal a march on his eight rivals and register a hard-fought success.
That win was the first for trainer Andrew Balding, successful in the valuable staying event at Lingfield on Friday and the Kingsclere handler has been entrusted with returning the gelding to former glories following a switch from Archie Watson last summer, six starts ago.
The link-up with Carver could be the catalyst for Nate The Great’s renaissance because his two starts aboard the selection have yielded a narrow defeat by the talented Australis and February’s hard-fought success at Dunstall Park.
Hopefully, the combination can make the most of a handy low draw today and be proactive from the stalls because the selection has already proved his effectiveness around Musselburgh’s tight turns, having won a novice event there in September 2018.
Of the selection’s rivals, Alright Sunshine could emerge as a live danger given his track record.
Unbeaten in both starts at this afternoon’s venue, the six-year-old is beginning to be shown some leniency by the handicapper and he could be nicely positioned for a horse which likes to pounce late.
He won’t lack for any fitness either, having been kept busy over hurdles of late.
CARLISLE
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
1.38 Get With It
2.13 Just Don’t Know
2.48 Karl Philippe
3.23 Dali Mail
3.58 Storm Nelson
4.33 Uptown Harry
5.05 Ballydonagh Boy
5.40 Foster’sisland
GIMCRACK
1.38 Old Jewry
2.13 Tico Times
2.48 Wetlands
3.23 Mint Gold
3.58 Show Promise
4.33 Cooking Fat
5.05 Sputnik
5.40 Pistol
Northerner – 2.13 Tico Times (nb); 4.33 Cooking Fat (nap).
MUSSELBURGH
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
1.20 The Gatekeeper
1.50 Marshal Dan
2.25 Forest Falcon
3.00 Caspian Prince
3.35 Nate The Great (nap)
4.11 Fox Hill
4.46 Merricourt
GIMCRACK
1.20 Atomic Force
1.50 Stone Soldier
2.25 Tornadic
3.00 Copper Knight (nap)
3.35 Nate The Great (nb)
4.11 Tomily
4.46 Ayr Poet
HAYDOCK
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
1.00 Emmpressive Lady
1.30 Five Star Getaway
2.05 Shantou Express
2.40 Silva Eclipse
3.15 Small Present (nb)
3.50 The Bay Birch
4.25 Air Navigator
GIMCRACK
1.00 Sexy Lot
1.30 Five Star Getaway
2.05 Xcitations
2.40 Innisfree Lad
3.15 Small Present
3.50 Rose Of Aghaboe
4.25 Air Navigator
NEWTON ABBOTT
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
1.55 Hell Red
2.30 Ronde De Nuit
3.05 Dorking Lad
3.40 Our Surprise
4.15 Auld Sod
4.52 Glentrool
5.25 Champagne Court
6.00 Game Line
GIMCRACK
1.55 Hell Red
2.30 Bempton Cliffs
3.05 Get Up Them Steps
3.40 Our Surprise
4.15 Amanofhisword
4.52 Winter Getaway
5.25 Sizing Codelco
6.00 General Bux
WOLVERHAMPTON
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
4.49 Compass Point
5.20 Outback Boy
5.55 Algheed
6.30 Martineo
7.00 Act Of Magic
7.30 Corrida De Toros
8.00 Carey Street
8.30 Pope Gregory
GIMCRACK
4.49 King Athelstan
5.20 Act Naturally
5.55 Closeness
6.30 Martineo
7.00 Captain St Lucifer
7.30 Corrida De Toros
8.00 Helian
8.30 Weloof
Newmarket – 5.20 Act Naturally (nap); 6.30 Martineo (nb).
