At the start of the flat season I introduced a new feature called “handicap hints” with which I will be trying to pinpoint future handicap winners.
The first three to go on the list were all taken from the Lincoln Handicap, Harrison George, Mia’s Boy and Mull of Killough. They have all run since with Harrison George winning at 11/2. I am working on the basis that HG has done his job and have decided to remove him from the list. Mia’s Boy was runner up in a listed race at Doncaster only beaten a head. Even so I have also removed him from the list as I am afraid he may become something of a “twilight” horse and be difficult to place. Mull of Killough could only finish 21st of 23 at Newbury but he met trouble in running and he stays on the list. Cityscape ran well in 4th in that Newbury race and he has been added. I have also added Hamish McGonigall who was 3rd at Beverley recently from a bad draw. He failed to win last season and has come down in the weights as a result.
I have added a couple more. Roker Park who ran today at Newcastle. I have a feeling that he could come in at a big price at some stage of the season. It is worth noting that he has won 3 times in the month of June! Lastly, I have included Hanoverian Baron to the list. He was second at Epsom last week despite not having conditions to suit.
Looking back to Saturday’s racing I was pleased to see that my selection for the “Whitbread” Tamarinbleu was also the Pricewise pick. The horse also got a pretty confident vote from trainer David Pipe on the Morning Line so I was feeling pretty smug about my 16/1 ticket. In the race though he was soon behind and never jumped with any fluency.
The one that got away on Saturday was Haatheq who won at Leicester for John Dunlop. He is a horse I had been waiting for as he looked on a lenient handicap mark. He duly won at 7/2 but I missed him!
We had one winner today thanks to Contredanse at Windsor.
Turning our attention to tomorrow Cygnet represents the same trainer/jockey combination as Contredanse in the Nottingham 7.05. A lightly raced, well bred 4 year old he is a course winner and should go well. Cygnet would have to be the selection but one that has an each way chance at a bigger price is Veroon who I think may pick up a decent race or two this season and will appreciate both trip and ground.
Rainbow Six represents the in form trainer Marco Botti in the 8.05 and the Italian also has a fancied runner at Lingfield with Mount Juliet, formerly trained by Simon Callaghan, in the 4.00. They are a couple to look out for.
Today’s pictures are by kind permission of the artist Susan Shaw.