International Racing Betting Tips: Our man on Bergsaker, Axevalla & more

There’s still a clutch of racing going on around the world and our man Johnathan Priddey provides the inside track from the trading floor.

Bergsaker (Trotting)

Tuesday’s double bill of Swedish trotting begins at Bergsaker in Sundsvall as Sweden keep the show on the road for racing fans right now.

No doubt you’ll be getting familiar with the big names on the scene, one of the star turns at Bergsaker is veteran driver Ulf Ohllson. You’ll rarely go through a meeting without getting a few returns if you follow the 55-year-old, who was Europe’s top man in the sulky through 2019 with an AP McCoy-esque haul of 314 winners.

Ohllson trawls all around Sweden hunting for winners and looks to have another good book of assignments on Tuesday. He’ll be in action five times with the banker looking to be Bjorli Frida (12.04).

This will be Bjorli Frida’s first outing since August but the booking of the sought-after Ohllson and return to her last winning venue suggest trainer Kurt Borgstrom means business straight away.

Ulf Ohlsson booked drives: Wilshere (11.20), Bjorli Frida (12.04), Guli Frodo (12.47), Loaded Noah (13.07), Tekno Vera (13.27)

Axevalla

After a pause for breath in the afternoon, we move onto an evening of action up at Axevalla near Skara in the north of Sweden.

The five-year-old mare was a consistent earner in 2019 with a win at Bergsaker plus three seconds and three thirds, only finishing out of the frame three times in ten completed starts.

All-time great Bjorn Goop has eight drives on a 10-race card with upwards of 7000 winners on his CV. The legendary Goop has recently added a new string to his bow by taking over his father’s training business while stating his intention to take fewer drives.

There’s little sign of that though! Goop continues to take matters into his own hands with 18 winners since the start of March, including three 220,000SEK pots in a day on March 28th at Solvalla with Anthara Bi, Image Rapida and In Love Paris – two of whom he also trains. 

Can Goop run riot at Axevalla as well? Perhaps his best chance comes in the final race with one from his own stable in the shape of Sandra Tilly (20.33).

After a fruitless year without Goop in the sulky and a quiet pipe-owner after a short break, Goop took over and tried running her without shoes last time out. The combined effect galvanised Sandra Tilly for a much-improved second place over course and distance a fortnight ago. Now the master driver/trainer has found the key to his mare, surely she’ll take all the beating in the lucky last here.

Bjorn Goop booked drives: Hat Trick (17.20), Robertino (18.05), Rally Gunnar (18.30), Ellami Pride (18.52), Newlight Coger (19.14), The Real Star (19.56), Riki D’Asolo (20.15), Sandra Tilly (20.33)

Will Rogers Downs

We pay our tenth visit of the season to Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma on Tuesday night. Floyd Wethey Jr. and Ty Kennedy continue to go hammer and tongs against each other in the race for Top Jockey honours.

One of the key Wethey Jr/Kennedy clashes comes in a maiden claiming event at 21.45. Wethey Jr rides Go For Jim and Kennedy is aboard Champagne’s On Ice with the pair looking to have a good chunk in hand of the remainder.

While it’s hard to be too critical in a field of increasingly long-term maidens, it is worrying that Go For Jim always lacks an end product to go with his habitual early speed.

Champagne’s On Ice may be 0/8 but has shown a willing attitude to finish well and hit the line strong, so take him to stalk his rival and seal the deal in the final furlong for Kennedy. 

The best race on the card is easily the stakes event at 23.15. Many will see this as a golden opportunity for Nero, who was good enough to mix it at Grade 2 level when trained by Bob Baffert and running in the colours of Magnier, Smith and Tabor last year.

The classy five-year-old is now in the care of Steve Asmussen but has looked a shadow of his best of late, failing to win in three outings in the calmer waters of Oaklawn Park.

With Nero an unconvincing proposition for a short price, perhaps the value will lie with the relatively unexposed improver Trumpence.

This six-year-old has an unusual profile as one who didn’t even make his debut until the age of five, but he has made up for lost time with four wins in six starts since – including an impressive win over a group of proven stakes horses at Remington Park two back.

He’s easily forgiven a recent blob in his form after suffering a rough trip at Sam Houston Park last time out. Take him to take another step forward here.

Floyd Wethey Jr booked rides: Cruman Tapote (19.45), Afleet Sniper (21.15), Champagne’s On Ice (21.45), Centergee (22.45), Serious Talk (23.45)

Ty Kennedy booked rides: Consumerconfidence (19.45), Hard Story (20.15), Miltontown (21.15), Go For Jim (21.45), Oil Money (23.15), Rocky Boy Indian (23.45) 

Fonner Park

Fonner Park’s resident iron man Armando Martinez continues to enjoy an Indian summer in his riding career.

The elder statesman of the weighing room in Nebraska has been riding winners since 1985. But could have been forgiven for wanting to throw in the towel back in 2012 after a fall so horrific that it left him with 18 screws in the right side of his face.

Instead the moustachioed Mexican carried on his career undaunted and continues to be Fonner Park’s ageless answer to Frankie Dettori. Martinez has booted home 30 winners from 128 rides at the current meeting including five wins from his last six.  

Martinez is involved in seven of the eight races at Fonner Park on Tuesday night. One of his most intriguing mounts must be when legged up by his wife (and leading Fonner Park trainer) Kelli Martinez aboard the unraced U Remember (22.27).

The daughter of Sexy Cowboy will not need to be a superstar to take down a very winnable maiden special weight event there. One of the best examples of the Martinez/Martinez combination of late has been the rampant Shooters Alley, who seeks a superb four-timer in the starter allowance contest at 00.15.

Unbeaten for the stable and going from strength to strength with a clearcut success in a similar event over course and distance a fortnight ago, even a tricky draw in stall 7 shouldn’t be enough to stop Shooters Alley here. 

Armando Martinez booked rides: Flash Brown (22.00), U Remember (22.27), Doubletrouble Bear (22.54), El Diable Grande (23.48), Shooters Alley (00.15), Star Hunter (00.42), Born Force (01.09)

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