Scott Armstrong

Cheltenham 2014 Tips: 4 of The Best Racing Experts Spill The Beans…

Posted on by Mike

The greatest racing festival of all is now just a few days away and to further whet the appetite ahead of the start of Cheltenham this Tuesday, I have brought together a panel of 4 of the shrewdest racing brains to get their best Cheltenham 2014 Tips.

Fielding my questions were 4 times Racing Post naps champion and Easyodds columnist – Paul Jacobs, top racing writer and owner of the geegeez website – Matt Bisogno, SBC’s very own racing expert – Scott Armstrong and the highly-rated racing tipster – Rob from Pounds to Punters.

Below you can find out their 3 best bets for Cheltenham, their ‘darkhorses’ to watch, the short-priced faves they want to take on and much more besides…

Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Roque Threat To Long Run Double

Posted on by Mike

In this regular Monday segment, racing expert Scott Armstrong rounds up all the action of note from this weekend’s racing for SBC Blog readers.

The flat season wound up with the International Breeders Cup proving very difficult to fathom with the Breeders Cup Mile won by the rag Court Vision at 66-1. Worry not as the jumping sphere takes over now and I’m like a kid at Christmas with the big guns starting to emerge from hibernation.

On Saturday Quito De La Roque laid down a threat to Long Run’s Gold Cup double aspirations with a gutsy one-and-a-quarter length triumph over Sizing Europe in the Down Royal Champion Chase.

Bostons Angel and Quito De La Roque – two of the most successful staying novice chasers in Ireland met in the Grade 1 Fort Leney Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown last December with honours going to Bostons Angel. The form of the whole season however suggests Quito De La Roque is the superior horse. Having thrashed Bostons Angel over hurdles in 2009/10 Quito De La Roque made a jumping error at the second last in the Fort Leney but unperturbed he stayed on strongly to lose by only three-quarters of a length. If Quito De La Roque had run in the RSA Chase last season I think he may have won it and it should pay to follow this strong stayer over the coming months. The Gold Cup where Quite De La Roque has been cut to 20-1 looks to be tilting at windmills in terms of troubling Long Run but if connections set their sights lower he can put up a bold show at the Festival. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: One Last Hurrah For Goldikova?

Posted on by Mike

Welcome to our latest column from Scott Armstrong of The Sportsman tipster service.

Each Friday, Scott provides us with a rundown of all the best weekend racing action – including the key  horses to follow and those to oppose. You can also find a recap from him each Monday on the SBC Blog with his reaction to the weekend’s events. Thorough, frank and not afraid to take a contrary view, Scott Armstrong is a racing man whose opinion you can’t afford to be without.

The Breeders Cup Stateside spectacular is the highlight of the weekend’s racing while in the UK there is a decent flat card at Doncaster including the November Handicap and some fine chasers and hurdlers make their seasonal outings at Wincanton.

The Breeders Cup Mile is the headline race of the weekend and the European horses head to Churchill Downs with a decent record of 19% wins from all runners at the track. The exceptional mare Goldikova will be hoping to say her farewell’s to a reverent public with a massive win and I believe she can. Successful on all three previous races in the Breeders Cup she loves this track and the manner of Stateside racing. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Diamond Harry To Sparkle?

Posted on by Mike

Welcome to our latest column from Scott Armstrong of The Sportsman tipster service.

Each Friday, Scott provides us with a rundown of all the best weekend racing action – including the key  horses to follow and those to oppose. You can also find a recap from him each Monday on the SBC Blog with his reaction to the weekend’s events. Thorough, frank and not afraid to take a contrary view, Scott Armstrong is a racing man whose opinion you can’t afford to be without.

The jumps season kicks off in earnest this weekend with the Charlie Hall meeting at Wetherby. Ascot also holds a decent National Hunt card while the flat season has not quite dwindled out yet with meetings at Newmarket, Ayr and there’s racing on the polytrack at Wolverhampton.

The Charlie Hall Chase is the pivotal jumps race of the weekend and this season’s renewal is a cracker. Having been won on previous years by such luminaries as One Man, Wayward Lad, Forgive ‘N’ Forget, Barton Bank, Our Vic and See More Business this term’s contest witnesses Diamond Harry as current 11-4 favourite and he looks the one to beat. Continue reading →

Sportman Racing: Derby Crusade For Camelot?

Posted on by Mike

In this regular Monday segment, racing expert Scott Armstrong rounds up all the action of note from this weekend’s racing for SBC Blog readers.

It was a great day for punters on Saturday when the very well backed Camelot justified his odds-on price with a mightily impressive win in the Racing Post Trophy. Scott examines his Derby credentials, where he is now 7-2 favourite and highlights a number of other horses and trainers to note from the weekend.

Money spoke volumes in the Racing Post Trophy as the once-raced Camelot was hammered in to odds-on at the off, winning easily by two-and-a-quarter lengths and making the 10-11 SP look extremely generous. Ladbrokes famously have a line on the Aidan O’Brien stable and in the lead up to the race they went odds on with Camelot while other bookmakers were odds against. O’Brien said after the race “The boys (in the yard) were saying that Camelot’s work was so exceptional it was hard to believe. In comparison to other horses his data was incredible”. Unfortunately for punters, O’Brien was typically reticent about such news before the race itself. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Camelot To Fall On Fencing's Sword

Posted on by Mike

Welcome to our latest column from Scott Armstrong of The Sportsman tipster service.

Each Friday, Scott provides us with a rundown of all the best weekend racing action – including the key  horses to follow and those to oppose. You can also find a recap from him each Monday on the SBC Blog with his reaction to the weekend’s events. Thorough, frank and not afraid to take a contrary view, Scott Armstrong is a racing man whose opinion you can’t afford to be without.

Newbury hosts a strong Saturday card, featuring two Group 3 races, the Horris Hill and the St Simon Stakes, while jumps fans have action at Aintree, Chepstow and Stratford. The key contest on the flat is the Racing Post Trophy a race for two-year-old colts and fillies run over a mile at Doncaster. Only six runners line up in this year’s renewal which is a poor return for the final flat Group One of the season in Britain. Reknowned as a stepping stone to the classics the Racing Post Trophy has produced a number of great winners in its 50-year history with three impressive Derby victors in the past decade in the shape of Authorized, High Chaparral and Motivator. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Camelot To Fall On Fencing’s Sword

Posted on by Mike

Welcome to our latest column from Scott Armstrong of The Sportsman tipster service.

Each Friday, Scott provides us with a rundown of all the best weekend racing action – including the key  horses to follow and those to oppose. You can also find a recap from him each Monday on the SBC Blog with his reaction to the weekend’s events. Thorough, frank and not afraid to take a contrary view, Scott Armstrong is a racing man whose opinion you can’t afford to be without.

Newbury hosts a strong Saturday card, featuring two Group 3 races, the Horris Hill and the St Simon Stakes, while jumps fans have action at Aintree, Chepstow and Stratford. The key contest on the flat is the Racing Post Trophy a race for two-year-old colts and fillies run over a mile at Doncaster. Only six runners line up in this year’s renewal which is a poor return for the final flat Group One of the season in Britain. Reknowned as a stepping stone to the classics the Racing Post Trophy has produced a number of great winners in its 50-year history with three impressive Derby victors in the past decade in the shape of Authorized, High Chaparral and Motivator. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Frankel To Remain Unbeaten at 2/1

Posted on by Mike

In this regular Monday segment, racing expert Scott Armstrong rounds up all the action of note from this weekend’s racing for SBC Blog readers.

Saturday’s racing was dominated by the outstanding Frankel and Scott runs the rule over his magnificent win alongside that of another of his highlighted horses – Deacon Blues, who took the Champions Sprint Stakes. You can also pick up Scott’s latest Horses To Follow list and find out how to receive this via email every Monday in the future.

The world’s best racehorse lit up Champions Day as Frankel dismissed four Group 1 winners with ease in winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes by four lengths. In these current dark times for horse racing it’s great news for all fans of the sport that Frankel will be back next year as a four-year old. Frankel is 2-1 with William Hill to remain unbeaten next season.

Christophe Soumillon was the latest victim of the whip rules suffering a £52,000 fine for striking the winner of the Champion Stakes, Cirrus Des Aigle six times in the final furlong. This incident overshadowed a first Group 1 success for the five-year old Cirrus Des Aigles who wore down So You Think in the final furlong. Cirrus Des Aigle may now be aimed at the Hong Kong Cup in December where he should be on the premises. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Times Up For Punters

Posted on by Mike

Welcome to our latest column from Scott Armstrong of The Sportsman tipster service.

Each Friday, Scott provides us with a rundown of all the best weekend racing action – including the key  horses to follow and those to oppose. You can also find a recap from him each Monday on the SBC Blog with his reaction to the weekend’s events. Thorough, frank and not afraid to take a contrary view, Scott Armstrong is a racing man whose opinion you can’t afford to be without.

Ascot hosts the first ever Champions Day tomorrow, with an array of all the very best horses, jockeys and trainers vying for more than £3 million in prize-money. It is a day made for racing expert Scott Armstrong who has plenty of value calls, including why Times Up for punters and his each-way bet to take on the mightly Frankel in the QEII – the most anticipated race of the day!

The inaugural Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday is a mouth-watering occasion. The richest ever day of racing witnesses more than £3 million in prize-money on offer and an impressive cast of equine stars headlined by the monster that is Frankel. Typically those in charge of racing have cast a massive shadow over the day with their new whip rules and top flat rider Richard Hughes handed in his licence in protest last night. For now I concentrate on events on the track. Continue reading →

Sportsman Racing: Dettori Defies Draw

Posted on by Mike

In this regular Monday segment, racing expert Scott Armstrong rounds up all the action of note from this weekend’s racing for SBC Blog readers.

This week, Scott casts his eye over what was a bumper weekend for the bookies, with plenty of big priced winners, leaving many a punter left scratching their head. None more so than, in the Cesarewitch where Frankie Dettori defied the high draw to inspire the Jamie Osbourne trained Never Can Tell to a 25/1 shock victory.

The Cesarewitch was won by Never Can Tell under an inspired ride by the inimitable Frankie Dettori. Defying the draw of stall 36, Dettori ploughed a lone furrow in the middle of the track. Never Can Tell looked the winner from some way out and so it proved. Prior to the race trainer Jamie Osborne had been bullish telling a colleague “I think Never Can Tell is overpriced. He will stay the trip and is in great shape at home. We will negate the draw by attempting to get near the front and bowl along. With Frankie in the plate I think we have every chance of being placed”. A great raid for all connections. Continue reading →