ITV Racing tips: Sunday, June 29
Ron Wood has four selections from the supporting races at the Curragh on Sunday and has also put together a horse-by-horse guide for the Irish Derby with a tip for a big race.
Ron Wood's selections
Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5).
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1.50 The Curragh – Derby Festival Handicap (1m)
The two Dermot Weld-trained runners are of interest in this one, starting with the apparent first string on jockey bookings, COEUR D'OR. He won the 2023 Irish Cambridgeshire here and should be better for finishing fourth at this venue last month on his reappearance, following a 266-day absence.
The other runner who appeals is SPOKEN TRUTH. He hasn't lived up to his top pedigree – he's by Frankel and a brother to the connections' Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs – and he has been off since October. But he's still with a respected stable and remains a colt. He has had just four starts and has the potential to yet prove better than a handicapper.
Selection: Coeur d'Or 1pt win @ SP with William Hill
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3.30 The Curragh – Rockingham Handicap (Premier Handicap, 5f)
DURAN (NB) is better than he showed at York last time. Before that he had been on the up, finishing second at Ascot and winning a handicap at Haydock, and he still looks competitively weighted.
He's also a half-brother to Thistle Bird, a Group 1 winner at the Curragh.
5.55 The Curragh – Stayers Handicap (2m)
LONDON CITY (NAP) has been off for a year but he's being persevered with by leading connections and is still a colt. He has potential now he is upped to a staying trip for the first time.
The form of his 1m 4f York handicap win last May reads well as the runner-up Align The Stars, who was getting 14lb, subsequently won three handicaps and went up over 20lb in the weights.
This horse is well bred, by Justify (who has sired a Derby winner) out of Winter, who won four Group 1 races for the selection's trainer, Aidan O'Brien.
Selection: London City 1pt win @ SP with William Hill
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Today's UK and Irish racing
(Flat unless stated)
The Curragh 1.15-5.55
Uttoxeter (NH) 1.30-4.57
Cartmel (NH) 2.10-5.40
Ffos Las 2.20-5.50
What does NAP mean?
NAP is a word used in betting circles to describe a prediction that a tipster thinks has a particularly strong chance of winning.
Many horse racing tipsters pick out a 'NAP of the day', which is their favoured selection from all the races across the different meetings.
The term NAP derives from the French card game Napoleon. When players of this game thought they had a particularly strong hand that they would win with, they would shout 'Napoleon'.
What is an each-way bet?
An each-way bet is a popular type of wager, particularly with horse racing fans. It is essentially two bets, both of which have the same size stake.
An each-way bet features one bet on the selection to win and the other bet on the selection to place.
So a £10 each-way bet will cost you a total of £20. There will be one £10 bet on the selection to win and another £10 on the selection to place.
It's a popular bet because it offers punters the chance of a return, even if the horse in question fails to win. Bookmakers will pay out at a stated percentage of the odds for a place finish, for example one-fifth of the starting price (SP) for finishing in the first three.
The more runners there are in a horse race, the more places will be on offer. In races that feature lots of runners, the horses will be available at bigger odds, making an each-way bet a wise choice.
Ron Wood 2025 horse racing P/L
(up to and including Thursday June 26)
Star ratings explained
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy
⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims
⭐⭐ - tentative choice
⭐ - minimum confidence
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