Channel 4 Racing Tips: Strong-travelling Tahaamah looks very well treated

I have nothing against the Shergar Cup, as it adds a bit of variety to the racing calendar and is harmless enough.

But I think it is fair to say that the concept is designed more to draw in the crowds - and, even in the absence of a host of riding stars this year, tempt in a global TV audience - than it is to entice punters to part with their hard-earned.

Call me old-fashioned, but I have enough trouble picking winners thanks very much, without the added headache of whether the likes of Ioritz Mendizabal, Rose Napravnik, Lisa Allpress and Yasunari Iwata are going to cut the mustard around Ascot if the TC pin does miraculously land on the "right" horse.

Now, the obvious retort is that they wouldn't be riding here if they weren't world-class jockeys, which they obviously are. But, crucially, they are proven world-class jockeys in their own backyards.

And, just as I have seen many UK-based jockeys struggle in America, so I have a few star names from abroad flounder on our less-than-uniform tracks over here.

The punting mentality that I have expressed above could make for some skewed markets at Ascot on Saturday, though, so keep an eye on Betfair close to the off.

I may actually be tempted in to back a few if the price of their mounts - and risk to reward - become too inflated.

There have been stunning late winning drifters of late - and I don't mean the ridiculous recent Tote returns such as £7.10 for a 1-4 winner - and none more so than Solar Spirit at Catterick on Tuesday, who trebled in price to 30 before winning.

And I would imagine that the big layers on Betfair may have some punchy tissues to bet around at Ascot on Saturday, given the jockeys involved.

Scatter Dice would be very interesting in the 1m4f handicap at 15:15 if Allpress can get him into a decent rhythm from the front, and Judge n'Jury and Zero Money, ridden by Napravnik and Mendizabal respectively, are my two against the field in the sprint handicap at 14:05.

I won't be putting up a bet on the Ascot card. But if you want my thoughts, I think Jack's Revenge and Rawaki will take a lot of beating in the More 4 races, and Shahdaroba has an obvious chance in the last.

But I will go over to Haydock for my sole bet of the day.

No, not Telescope, at likely odds-on in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at 14:55, though I think it is fair to say connections will be a touch surprised if he doesn't win.

Tahaamah in the 10f handicap at 14:20, is my bet of the day but you simply have to put up some in-running lay insurance on him at a short price, as this strong traveller often finds less than expected.

In fact, his in-running lows in ALL his beaten starts make for staggering reading as follows: 2.01/1, 2.021/1, 2.0421/20, 1.111/9, 1.715/7, 2.568/5, 1.141/7, and 1.768/11.

So my advice is to stick in a lay at around the 2.0811/10 mark.

I thought that he was going to hack up on his reappearance at Ascot in May but 1m4f on rain-softened ground first time up just found him out, and he may have found the race coming too soon when very disappointing at Redcar next time.

The handicapper has dropped him a very generous 4lb for those two runs, and he is now a very well-treated horse on his Meydan form last year and his turf form here in 2011.

It could be that he has lost that level of ability, but his run at Ascot suggested otherwise.

He rates a very decent bet at 17.016/1 or bigger.

Recommended Bet

Back Tahaamah @ 17.016/1 or bigger - Haydock 14:20