Newmarket best bet: Conditions look ideal for improving Way Of Life
- Steve Jones
- 11 August 2023
From Friday’s busy racecard, Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems on Tipstrr, has thinned out the 500+ runners across the seven meetings until he’s able to give us his solitary Daily Bargain.
19:10 Newmarket: Maritime Cargo Services Outperforming the Opposition Handicap (1 mile 2 furlongs)
Those at the head of the early market all have questions to answer, which suggests there must surely be some decent potential value elsewhere, and the prime candidate is Way Of Life.
It's easy to overlook his latest run at Ascot on softer ground, and as he reverts to a drying surface, he can be expected to build on his seasonal opener last month, which saw him finish a never-nearer third of 10 in a 0-82 handicap over 10 furlongs at Windsor.
Given that he hadn't raced for 322 days and the pair who finished in front of him were already race-fit, it was a very encouraging return to action.
Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Way Of Life finishes in the first 3 places, get a £5 Free Bet!
If anything, he would have preferred even quicker ground, so the current drying forecast goes very much in his favour and he stays at least 12 furlongs, so this galloping track with its uphill finish also goes in his favour.
Way Of Life was a winner on the galloping track at Newbury last season and he was also a close runner-up in another Class 4 handicap over this distance at Chepstow, where he was beaten just a neck by Commonsensical with the front pair well clear.
Way Of Life is now facing lesser opposition off four pounds lower under a similar set of conditions, so he only needs to approach that level of form to hold a big chance here.
His seasonal opener at Windsor very much suggested that he has returned in good shape, with the added benefit of having the yard's main rider, Rob Hornby, back in the saddle.
Suggested bet:
Way Of Life each-way in the 19:10 at Newmarket
Of the others, Tarbaan's latest all-weather run at Chelmsford can be ignored because he chased an overly strong pace and understandably faded in the home straight.
Prior to that, he ran a never-nearer fourth of 10 in a Class 4 handicap at Haydock, where he performed easily the best of those held up, and it was his best turf run since last September, when he finished third of 10 at Yarmouth.
Next best bet:
Tarbaan in the 19:10 at Newmarket
Now six pounds lower than at Yarmouth and four lower than at Haydock, he returns to the venue of his sole previous turf win, which came in a Class 4 over the Rowley Course early last season.
