There is racing at Beverley tomorrow where the card gets under way with a valuable 10 furlong handicap at 2.20. Drill Sergeant should appreciate the conditions as he has won with some ease in the ground and was runner up, albeit beaten 6 lengths, behind Perks at Haydock in heavy ground at Haydock on his latest start. He may well start favourite and should be in the shake up. By Command was an impressive winner at Windsor in April but has not built on that success since. Whilst not ruling him out he does have something to prove now. Tiger Dream won a maiden at Thirsk on fast ground in April but has not won since and is possibly a little high in the weights. Unbreak My Heart is quite an interesting runner. He shaped well last season winning a couple of nursery handicaps at Windsor and Goodwood. He was runner up last time out at Haydock and his record with an “s” in the going description reads 1122. He would be my each way selection. Before leaving Beverley I must point out, for the benefit of his “fan club” that old Legal Set runs in the 3.55 but he has a miserable draw and he is miles out of the handicap.
Luca Cumani’s Sandbuch has featured in these pages several times this season and has generally not let his supporters down. He was runner up in the Doncaster November Handicap at the end of last season and he was a winner at Goodwood on his last run. He returns to the Sussex track tomorrow where he tackles listed company for the first time in the 2.45. It will be interesting to see if he can step up in class successfully. One of his main rivals might be the front running Tungsten Strike who won this race last year. These would be my two against the field on a track where the ability to act of the course can be very important.
Raven’s Pass has had the misfortune to run into Henrythenavigator three times this season and to his great credit he ran him pretty close on the last occasion. He has run really well this season at the highest level without actually winning. He should have too much class for the opposition in the 3.15 as long as his exertions already this season haven’t taken their toll. One word of caution though, no 3 year old has won the race since 2001 and there could be a doubt about Ravens Pass on soft ground. Of the opposition Bankable looks the main danger. After winning an Ascot handicap and a listed race at Goodwood he was 5th from an impossible draw in the Royal Hunt Cup. He then ran a close second to Passage of Time in a listed race at Newbury over 10 furlongs. Back to a mile tomorrow, he acts on both the track and the going and is by no means out of it. Docofthebay was second to Pipedreamer in the Cambridgeshire last season only getting 4 lbs and then was second in the Royal Hunt Cup. He is another with chances but I will stick with Raven’s Pass as my selection.
I thought that Rose Diamond ran well in 5th at Ascot on her last outing and given that the extra distance of the 3.45 should be in her favour I would give her an each way chance.
The last race on the card, a 6 furlong handicap, has not been a lucky one for 3 year olds, with only one winner from that age group in the last decade. Despite that I fancy Film Maker to buck the trend tomorrow. I thought he ran quite well at Newmarket on the first of this month and if he handles the going he could give us a run for our money.
Duke of Marmalade is the form pick in the Newmarket 3.35. He accounted for both Pipedreamer and Phoenix Tower at Royal Ascot and should finish in front of that pair again. I am going to take a chance with the younger generation in the shape of New Approach though. He comes here a fresh horse and should handle the ground.
There are a couple more runners from my list to follow on the Newmarket card; Floristry (3.05) and Amaakin (4.45).
I put Marajaa on my list to follow at the start of the season and I feel he could be one to pop up at a decent price. He runs tomorrow in the Windsor 7.20.
Moving on to Sunday there is just one runner from my list to follow in action at Beverley. Piverina runs in the 4.50 for trainer Julie Camacho. This 3 year old is no world beater but based on her 3rd at Carlisle on her last run might be worth a small each way interest.
There are a couple of runners from my list to follow in the 2.10 at Goodwood. Since winning at Haydock back in May on fast ground Missioner appears to have gone backwards. It is hard to fancy him on recent form but Roaring Forte has a better chance. He has been a beaten favourite on both his runs this season but it may be that he needs ground of the soft side and if getting those conditions on Sunday is worth another chance.
In the 5.05 Amanda Perrett gives a debut run to Wilfred Pickles. This colt’s dam is a half sister to a horse called Shield that won the Sandown Classic Trial in 2003 before coming 10th in the Derby of that year. Sadly he then suffered a fatal accident and in fact only ran 4 times.
In the 2.30 at Yarmouth Celtic Rebel makes his debut. He is a half brother to Celtic Sultan who won a handicap at the May meeting at Chester this season. He is trained by Simon Callaghan.
Today’s pictures are by kind permission of the artist Karen Davies.
Bye for now.
ahorse 