Free horse racing tips for Monday: Golden opportunity awaits

My three fancies for Monday are all relatively short in the betting, so I’ll be sticking them in a Trixie (doubles and a treble) to pump up the odds.

The scheduled meeting at Cartmel was abandoned on Sunday, but there are still three meetings to enjoy on Racing TV with action in England, Ireland (Ballinrobe) and Scotland.

2.30 Ayr: Golden Shot at 10/11 with bet365

Sir Mark Prescott has always been inclined to give his well-handicapped horses the opportunity to run in a sequence of quick races, so that they can make hay before the assessor gets a chance to respond.

Golden Shot has been absent for nine months, but he could be in for a busy week with this race followed by possible future engagements at Sandown (Wednesday), Newbury (Thursday) and Ascot (Friday). If he wins here, he would be able to run in any of those without a penalty as this contest is restricted to apprentices.

The son of Golden Horn, bred to need time and distance, predictably made little impact in his four races over 7f as a two-year-old (which were squeezed into a month at the backend of the season) but clicked in 1m6f handicaps at Southwell and Wolverhampton at the start of last year before splitting Thermoscope and Scottish Dancer when upped to 2m on his final outing at Newcastle.

That form has worked out well, suggesting Golden Shot is on a handy mark, regardless of the fact that he’s almost certainly capable of better yet and faces exposed opposition here. I wouldn’t worry about his absence, either, not least because it’s a 750-mile round trip from Heath House.

In the past five years, Prescott has had five runners at the track and chalked up three winners. Morgan Cole is 6/24 when riding for him.

7.00 Beverley: Ugo Gregory at 4/1 with bet365

Ugo Gregory snapped a frustrating 17-race losing sequence when making all here last week and can follow up.

That was his fourth success at Beverley and had been on the cards for a little while, given that he’d been thumping on the door from a tumbling mark.

The grey never looked like being pegged back six days ago, having things under control some way out. Even with a 4lb penalty, he’s well-in on his old form, having won off a 9lb higher mark in the past.

Ugo Gregory may have competition for the lead with Cori Glory, usually a front-runner, among his rivals. He is versatile in terms of tactics, though, and all underfoot conditions seem to come alike to him, with heavy going no bother to him in the past.

Ugo Gregory won in good style last week

8.20 Windsor: Zarga at 2/1 with Betfair

It will be disappointing if the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly does not belatedly get off the mark.

The daughter of Camelot, out of Stoute’s classy Strawberrydaiquiri, has been something of a slow burner and twice been beaten off a mark of 74 in her two races this term.

But that masks the fact that she didn’t get the rub of the green when chasing home Spring Fever at Redcar last time; staying on stoutly after being held up in last place and having to switch wide to get a run. It was an eye-catching effort, to say the least, without even considering that the Gosden-trained winner is now 21lb higher in the ratings after subsequently bolting up at Newmarket.

By contrast, Zarqa is only up 4lb and it would be no surprise if she’s progressed again, at home, during her two months off. Stoute won this race with a similar type, A La Voile, in 2020. She also won off a mark of 78 and went on to be placed in Listed company.