Some quiet days coming up with not too much to enthuse about.
If you are a follower of Sir Mark Prescott’s 3 year olds then Astrodome could be of interest in the Brighton 4.00 tomorrow. In the 7.50 at Ripon Shanafarahan represents our list to follow but in truth he has not shown much in his 3 runs this season. A list runner with a better chance is the Mick Easterby trained Hurlingham in the Ripon 8.50.
The next update will be Tuesday evening.
With only one horse rated as high as 120 this year’s Eclipse is by no means the strongest renewal. It still presents quite a puzzle for the punter for all that.
Literato is the highest rated but he has not shown his best form this year and may not get his preferred underfoot conditions. Frankie Dettori has chosen to ride Campanologist rather than Literato. This colt won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, beating Conduit who was having his first run out of handicap company. Aiden O’Brien seems to be capturing most of the major prizes this season and he relies on Mount Nelson here. Mount Nelson does not have too many miles on the clock but hasn’t won since his 2 year old days. The 7 year old Maraahel has yet to win at Group 1 level although he rarely runs a bad race and has each way claims.. The runners with the best recent form are Phoenix Tower and Pipedreamer, who were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. Phoenix Tower had earlier been runner up in the Lockinge which gives the form a solid look. Yet to be out of the first 2 in his career Phoenix Tower is my selection, with Pipedreamer the one to chase him home.
Rowe Park has been well beaten on both his starts this season. If he can recapture the form that saw him win a Group 3 at Newbury last year he would have an each way chance in the 2.10 at Sandown.
Celtic Sultan and Lang Shining represent our list to follow in the 2.40. Front runner Celtic Sultan, a winner at Chester in May, ran well enough at Royal Ascot and is likely to try and win from the front here. Lang Shining failed to overcome a bad draw in the Royal Hunt Cup and can perhaps be given another chance. He would be my tentative suggestion here. The 9 year old Unshakable likes Sandown and comes to the race on the back of a decent performance at Epsom. He has an each way chance.
In the 3.55 Melodramatic has been running consistently and should go well.
The big handicap at Haydock is the Old Newton Cup at 3.35. John Quinn has Solent and Pevensey in this. They fought out the finish in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot last season with Pevensey getting home by a head. Pevensey is 4 lbs better off now but is probably seen to best advantage on soft ground. Luca Cumani has a good record in this race and saddles Mad Rush this year. Mad Rush has run two absolute crackers in defeat this season, but gone up the weights as a result. Although he has only won once in 6 starts he has never been out of the first two and has to be a major contender here. Another to consider is Dansili Dancer who likes fast ground and has form figures of 113 when running at Haydock. If we get some rain and there is an “S” in the going description then I would add Pippa Greene to my short list. I think I will go with Mad Rush with an each way saver on last season’s winner Dansili Dancer if the ground is riding fast.
There are 3 runners from my list to follow in the 2.25 at Haydock. Planetarium has been given a long break since trailing in last of 3 when an odds on favourite at Catterick in April. Before that he had split Twice Over and Stubbs Art at Newmarket as a juvenile and anything like that sort of form would see him home here. You have to respect the chance of Full Speed though. He won a handicap at York where the 2nd and 3rd have since franked the form. Tighnabruaich was 4th to Allied Powers at Chester in May but he now meets that rival on 3 lbs better terms, and both these horses come into the equation. If Planetarium can reproduce his 2 year old form he would be the selection but I like Full Speed and he can take advantage if the Johnston horse has not trained on.
I have rather a long short list for the Lancashire Oaks at 3.00. I looked at Anna Pavlova, Turbo Linn, Arthur’s Girl and Samira Gold. Arthur’s Gold has done little wrong this season and at around 7/1 is my each way choice.
Knot in Wood ran really well to finish 4th in the Wokingham but is danger of falling into the no man’s land between the decent handicaps and pattern company. He runs in the 4.10 and although he should run well he might just find a few too good for him. Reverence has won on both his previous visits to Haydock and as long as the ground is not too firm he would have a chance.
Other runners in action from my list to follow are Moheeb (Carlisle 8.35), Rossini’s Dancer (Carlisle 9.05) and Charles Parnell (Haydock 5.20).
My main fancy at Leicester is Gift Horse in the 3.45 while at Nottingham in the 7.50 Jargelle should be able to build on a promising debut 3rd behind Cecily.
If you read my preview of yesterday’s racing you can imagine that I was chuffed to see Pawan win in fine style for Ann Stokell at Warwick. Another old favourite from the Stokell yard, Legal Set, returns to the fray at Ayr on Sunday. He has won 11 races in his career but the last of these was over 3 years ago. A 12 year old now, he is a year younger than one of his rivals in this race Strensall who has 9 career wins to his credit. Incidentally, Strensall is a half brother to Baybshambles who has done so well for this column recently. In fact there are all sorts of interesting old timers in this amateur riders handicap as another old friend, Seafield Towers, is also in the line up. Although he has only won 3 times in a many race career the wins have come at 4/1, 20/1 and 33/1.
Earlier at Ayr, in the 2.20, Fantasy Fighter could run well at a decent price.
Good luck
Pictures are by kind permission of Lisa Miller
There are only 2 runners from my list to follow in action on Friday. Moheeb is entered in the Beverley 7.45 but will only run if the ground is suitable, while Trip the Light runs in the 8.50.
I will start tonight’s preview with the Haydock 2.40 where there are a couple of runners from our list to follow, Tudor Prince and Kashimin. Tudor Prince has not been a prolific winner but I have the feeling that he will go in at a good price when everything falls right for him. He has 10 stone to carry tomorrow but he is a sturdy sort and might be the type to win off a big weight. Some ease in the ground should suit him. Kashimin won is only start as a juvenile but has done nothing in his 2 runs this season. I can’t help thinking that he might need further than 6 furlongs.
Ateesh was last of the 6 runners on his debut at York missing the break and never getting into the race. He is well thought of by connections and should be capable of better in time. He runs in the 4.10.
Yossi was expensive to follow last season. He was gelded in the winter and ran well for some way on his reappearance at Doncaster. I have always thought he had ability and he held a Derby entry at one time. He runs in the 4.40.
There is an evening meeting at Newbury where there are a couple of runners from our list to follow in the handicap at 6.50. On what they have achieved so far there is not much between the lightly raced pair of First Avenue and West With The Wind. In fact the handicapper seems to agree with me as he has them both on a mark of 82. Michael Jarvis has his horses in tip top form at present and that just persuades me to go for First Avenue. Ruff Diamond could run into a place at big odds.
I will be hoping for a good run from Eisteddfod in the 7.55 as I am a member of the Elite Racing Club. He has been a grand servant for the club winning 11 times and he certainly doesn’t owe anybody anything. He wouldn’t want the ground to firm though and I rather fancy Mick Channon’s Atlantic Sport for this. He has only raced twice and could be an improver.
Dancer in Demand has some pretty smart relatives and didn’t get his own career off to a bad start when 3rd at Newbury in May. He is upped in trip tomorrow when returning to the Berkshire track for the 9.00 which given his pedigree should suit him. Backing Sir Michael Stoute maidens in this type of race isn’t going to make our fortunes but I will put him forward as my tip anyway.
Life has been no joke for Inspector Clouseau this season as he has found one too good for him on both his starts. He is a horse I like and he should go well in the 7.45 at Redcar. The other one I like in this race is Sky Dive. He has been placed in his last two races, both over a mile at great Leighs. He tackles 10 furlongs tomorrow and he should stay the extra distance OK. These would be my two against the field.
Pawan is on a 32 race losing streak, but that doesn’t tell the whole story as he has been beaten a head or less on several occasions during his losing run. He was desperately unlucky when caught on the line by Geojimali at Newcastle on Saturday. He is always ridden by his trainer Ann Stokell and you have to wonder if a professional jockey might have converted some of his placed efforts into wins. Having said full marks to Ann Stokell for taking on the professionals and both horse and jockey are a great credit to the sport. Pawan will try to break his losing sequence in the Warwick 7.35, both Pawan and Miss Stokell deserve a win.
Peruvian Prince looked a sure fire future winner when he was second, beaten a head, at York but has run twice since, finishing 4th both times. He runs in the 8.40 at Warwick in a 6 runner handicap. He is a horse with ability and has shown an impressive turn of foot in the past.
That is all for now, see you tomorrow
Picture by kind permission of artist Jane Dunn
It is always nice to be able to report a winner and Aleatricis ended a bit of a losing run for my selections, albeit by the stubbiest of noses. Although he only just scrambled home off a mark of 45 he might be interesting next time he runs if tried over further. Baybshambles has been a real stalwart for this column and claimed his 3rd win of the season in the last race at Thirsk tonight. Luxuria was a winner at Lingfield and we had a couple of 2nds as well so all in all not a bad day.
The 3.00 at Catterick tomorrow is likely to see Shyrl start at long odds on as she ran 2nd in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on her last outing. Impressible is another interesting runner. She is related to a number of winners including the top class sprinter Reverence. Also at Catterick Tawzeea, who runs in the 4.30, has only been out of the first 3 once in 7 starts and has an each way chance.
At Chepstow in the 6.40 Mick Channon gives a debut to Conakry who comers from a winning family. He is a half brother to Ajigolo.
The Fifth Member has a race in him somewhere this season. He was 3rd at Leicester last month and doesn’t look badly handicapped in the Kempton 7.50. At around 10/1 he has each way possibilities.
Dvinski has won 3 times at Kempton and his form figures for his last 3 visits to the track read 12322. He has to come into the reckoning for the 9.20.
Picture by kind permission of Lisa Miller
ahorse 