English/Ire
King’s best bets – 6th February 2026
Sam King is back with three selections on Friday.
Sandown and Bangor have both succumbed to the rain, so it's all eyes on the all-weather, with Wolverhampton providing the afternoon action before Newcastle plays host to the first Friday Night Live meeting.
Wolverhampton's eight-race card looks tricky on the whole, but Von Krolock holds outstanding claims in the Daily Profit Boosts At betmgm.co.uk Classified Stakes (14.42).
Trained by shrewd handler James Owen, Von Krolock is the only horse amongst the field to bring recent winning form to the table having landed a course and distance handicap last November and he's been running better than form figures suggest since then.
An all-weather winner in Ireland off a higher mark, he found the trip too sharp when keeping on to be beaten less than four lengths into seventh in handicap company last time out, while his sixth-place finish over a mile at Southwell in December came against much stronger opposition than that he faces today.
The visor which has been worn on three of his last four starts has been replaced by cheekpieces and should that have the desired effect, then James Owens' charge ought to have every chance of regaining the winning thread in these calmer waters.
Von Krolock – 1pt Win
Odds – 11/4
There doesn't seem to be much pace on in the SBK: Betting Without The Bull Handicap (5.30) at Newcastle this evening, which might allow Lerwick to dominate things under Luke Morris.
He suffered a wide trip when a decent fourth over seven furlongs at Kempton last time out, shaping as though it wouldn't be long before he was back in the winners' circle.
Whilst better known for his exploits at Kempton, a track where his last four starts have come, he does possess one solid piece of form over the seven furlongs at Newcastle having finished runner-up off a mark of 81 when trained by Ed Bethell in February last year.
He was up with the pace all the way on that occasion and I'm hoping Luke Morris, who has been riding as well as ever of late, deploys similar tactics from his potentially favourable draw in stall seven.
Furthermore, he's been dropped an extra 1lb for that recent effort and this two-time Class 5 winner looks overpriced in a race that will hopefully be run to suit.
Lerwick – 1pt Win
Odds – 7/1
In contrast, the SBK: Dont Settle For Less Handicap (6.30) features a whole host of front-runners and that ought to play to the strengths of the bottom weight Amerjeet.
The gelded son of Blue Point hasn't scored since making a winning handicap debut off 77 back in the summer of 2024 but he now rocks up off a mark of 58 and having filled the runner-up spot on three of his last four start, it surely won't be long before he's setting the record straight.
Michael Herrington does well at this venue and I suspect he's had this race in mind for a while for this horse, who shaped as though the return to bigger field scenario with more pace would suit when an eye-catching third at Wolverhampton last time.
P J McDonald ought to be able to bury his mount in and amongst horses from stall five and allow the likes of Digital, Our Absent Friends, The Fixer and D Flawless to get on with things up front.
Those exaggerated hold-up tactics could prove beneficial here and he might be the one to pick up the pieces granted a clean run.
Amerjeet – 1pt Win
Odds – 7/1
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