Category: Racing diary

The standard of racing looks quite good tomorrow for a midweek and hopefully we can continue the successful run of the last couple of days.

Starting at Goodwood there is a 2 year old maiden at 2.15 where there have been good reports about the Mick Channon runner Aattash. Another to look out for is Imperial Warrior who is a half brother to the sprinter Wyatt Earp but comes from a stable not known for its first time out 2 yaer olds.

In the 3.25 Bin End and Brunston are quite closely handicapped on a line through a horse called Barwell Bridge. Roger Charlton’s horses are running well at present and I will just give the edge to Brunston but both look in with a good chance.

I tipped Say No Now when he won last time out at Nottingham on her turf debut and she tackles listed company for the first time in the 4.00. She certainly has a chance but I prefer Splashdown who won at Kempton before finishing 3^rd in a decent listed contest at Newmarket last season. The trip should be fine for her; in fact she may well stay a bit further.

Crimson Fern was only beaten a nose by Look Busy at Bath on her last start and she is one I like in the 4.35. Judge ‘n Jury has top weight but likes some cut in the ground and cannot be ruled out. Crimson Fern though is a course and distance winner, something I particularly value at the Sussex course and gets the vote.

Hawk Mountain is a consistent and progressive stayer and could well continue winning ways in the 1.50 at Haydock where he can defy a 4 lbs rise in the weights for his success at Doncaster at the start of the month.

Cadre won for us at Yarmouth recently at surprisingly generous odds. Although a 4 year old he has only had 4 career starts and there could well be plenty of improvement in him. He is my selection in the 3.35. Flora’s Pride could just be better than she has shown so far and is a speculative each way tip in the 4.45 at value odds of 25/1.

Recent Folkestone winner King of Wands looks a tough battler and won’t mind the ground or the trip in the Sandown 6.20. He should go well where the main danger looks like being Penang Princess who was 2^nd at Nottingham recently.

In the 6.50 I am going with another recent winner in Mirrored. He has gone up 7 lbs for his win at Kempton but the runner up has gone in since and Mirrored looks the sort to improve.

Antonini represents my list to follow in the 7.25. He is never far away but remains a maiden and off a mark of 85 looks to have plenty to do in the 7.25 where The Fonz could be the one to beat him.

There is a very interesting runner in the 8.35 in the shape of Leocorno who is a half sister to Golan and Tartan Bearer. She won her only start as a 2 year old and clearly could be pretty smart.

My thanks to John Thurm for use of the photograph.

At the time of writing we have had one winner today thanks to Sovereign Remedy. Tomorrow I am optimistic about the chances of Forte Dei Marmi in the 2.15 at Goodwood. This son of Selkirk has had 3 runs to qualify for a handicap mark and is the sort that Luca Cumani does well with.

Alwaary was not able to get competitive in the Lingfield Derby Trial but he should come on for that run and is worth considering in the 3.25. The Godolphin runner Chock A Block who won on his only start last season comes into the “could be anything” category and market confidence would be interesting.

In the 4.35 it could be worth a look at Barter trained by Luca Cumani. This one should come on for his debut run earlier this month.

Visite Royale was an encouraging 4^th on his debut at Kempton last November. The 5^th has won since and Visite Royale is my selection in the 5.10.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Sarah Aspinall.

 

Not much to comment on at the various meetings tomorrow. At Leicester I looked at Zero Money in the 8.10. He was well backed for his debut run at Salisbury last August but finished 3^rd. He showed enough to suggest that he can win races though and the stable are going well.

In the Nottingham 4.30 I would expect Sovereign Remedy to take a hand in the finish. He was runner up at Kempton on his debut a fortnight ago and the 4^th horse has won since. Choral Service could also run well in this race at a big price.

 

Bath 4.30 – Peter Makin’s Mabuya was 2^nd on his last start which was in a 7 furlong maiden at Goodwood. He makes his handicap bow tomorrow and should benefit from the step up in distance.

Bath 5.00 – Dansimar was having her first run on the flat for some while when fifth at Doncaster a couple of weeks ago. Possibly unsuited by the ground that day she may do better tomorrow.

Windsor 8.10 – Piquante finished 4^th on her last start at Newbury, one place ahead of Sir Michael Stoute’s Phillipina. That looks fair form and she should be in the shake up tomorrow.

Wolverhampton 7.20 – Know by Now and Kammaan are my two against the field in this.

 

 

Just two selections for Sunday.

Ripon 5.10 – Hukba

Navan 3.45 – Big Game Hunter

Invisible Man has been a beaten favourite on each of his 3 starts so far. He probably has the ability to win the opener at Newmarket but is obviously not one to be over confident about. The unraced Bourne looks interesting on pedigree and may repay a small each way investment.

The 2.55 looks a competitive handicap with several progressive types. The Mark Johnston trained Petrovsky has already run up a hat trick of wins on the all weather and has the scope to do even better in time. Chiberta King won on his handicap debut at Windsor and may be ahead of the handicapper. Both trainer and jockey are in fine form. Distant Memories won a heavy ground maiden at Ayr last season and with just 2 career starts to his name has the scope to improve and should be all the better for this step up in trip. Clowance House won a maiden at Salisbury over tomorrow’s trip and does not look on a bad mark. On fast ground I would go for Clowance House but if there is rain and it gets into the ground then I would switch my allegiance to Petrovsky. Really testing ground would bring in Distant Memories.

Twisted showed some promise on his only start as a juvenile and should be suited by some give in the ground. He would be my somewhat tentative selection for the Newbury 1.30.

Paco Boy is the obvious form pick in the Lockinge at 2.40. He accounted for two of his main rivals, Dream Eater and Virtual at Sandown over this trip at least partly dispelling fears that he doesn’t stay a mile. There are no stamina doubts where Twice Over is concerned as he stays further. On the best of his form he would be a big threat to Paco Boy but he has had a problem with a corn on his foot which may have held up his preparation. The lightly raced Aqlaam is not proven over a mile but there is sufficient stamina in his pedigree to suggest it will be within his compass. Paco Boy has to be the most likely winner although his price looks skinny. Virtual would benefit from any further rain as he has winning form on soft ground.

In the 3.10 I am going to rely on the recent Yarmouth maiden winner Holyrood who is lightly raced and is gaining experience all the time.

My selections for the remainder of the Newbury card are; Lovely Thought, danger Miss Eze (4.20); Euston Square (4.55) and Almuktahem (5.30).

Up at Thirsk my list to follow is represented by Shemoli in the 2.30. He has finished runner up on both his starts this season and has perhaps been a shade disappointing. The stable are perhaps not quite firing at present and I am going to bypass him this time.

Roman Republic can race a bit keenly but as long as he settles he looks the one to be on in the 3.40.

Dandy Nicholls has 4 of the 10 runners in the 4.15. Adele Mulrennan is worth her 7 lbs claim and I will tip her to give Cape Vale a winning ride.

There is an evening card at Doncaster where I like the look of Dig Deep and Carleton in the 7.40.Carleton is the more likely to handle the ground and he is the selection.

In the 8.10 Bravo Echo looks nicely in at the weights while Cook’s Endeavour could go well at a big price.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Ruth Buchanan.

Clive Cox, Sir Michael Stoute and Henry Cecil all have their horses in top form at the moment and I fancy their runners in the 2.10 at York tomorrow. Electrolyser, Warringah and Walking Talking represent the 3 trainers and I can see the winner coming from that trio. For my selection I have chosen Electrolyser who looks the value at 7/1.

The 2.20 at Newbury looks a competitive heat and with the trip on the short side for Border Patrol it looks to be between Run for the Hills, Elnawin and Triple Aspect. I am going to narrow it down and select two runners in this, Run for the Hills and Triple Aspect both of which have bags of potential.

In the 2.50 the two I like most are Apple Charlotte and Mooakada. Apple Charlotte gave the impression that she would come on for her run at Ascot and I will just give her the edge.

Alanbrooke holds a Group 2 entry at Royal Ascot and could be a lot better than his current handicap mark of 78. He looks the one to beat in the 4.00.

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Jo Stockdale (see links)

The Dante Stakes (2.40) is the centrepiece of the York card tomorrow and presents a less than straightforward puzzle as a case can be made for all 10 participants.

J Murtagh has chosen to ride Freemantle rather than Black Bear Island and although jockeys get these things wrong sometimes, Chester being a case in point for Johnny Murtagh, I am inclined to favour Freemantle of the pair.

Freemantle was 3^rd on his debut in a maiden at The Curragh where Black Bear Island was runner up, and subsequent Guineas winner Sea the Stars 4^th. The trip should be within Freemantle’s compass and he looks a serious contender. Neeham could be an interesting outsider as he comes into the race with an unblemished 100% record. He defeated Monitor Closely at Newmarket and the runner up then finished 8^th in the Guineas. Neither are out of contention here with the longer trip likely to suit the Peter Chapple-Hyam colt. Kite Wood is reported to have done well over the winter. He won his last two races in 2008 and the trip shouldn’t prove a problem. Crowded House was a hugely impressive winner of the Racing Post Trophy and it is difficult to knock his credentials. He has shown a devastating turn of foot to win at Doncaster and if reproducing that sort of form he will take all the beating. He is the selection.

Selections at other meetings;

Newmarket 6.50 Twisted (ew); 8.00 Four Winds (danger – On Our Way); Salisbury 1.50 Aromatic (danger – You Say I Say); 4.00 Ben’s Dream (ew)

I am short of time tonight but I will try and find a winner or two at York and Naas.

Starting at the York where we have the opening day of the Dante meting there are a couple of horses I like in the 1.40. The giant Stone of Scone impressed when winning last time at Nottingham. He is lightly raced and open to further improvement and with Ryan Moore in the saddle he looks a reasonable choice. Another worth considering is Red Kestrel who won at Lingfield last season on only his second career start and is a half brother to a St Leger winner.

In the 2.40 Enticement makes most appeal on the basis of her win last year at Newmarket where she had Midday, an impressive winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial, back in 4^th. Sariska ran better than her finishing position suggest at Newbury over an inadequate trip. She was slowly away and then got hampered. It was not bad form anyway as the runner up in that race has since finished 3^rd in the 1,000 Guineas.

My original fancies for the 3.10 were Utmost Respect and Captain Gerrard but both will need rain which they seem unlikely to get. In the circumstances I will go with Hitchens who will handle the ground and comes into the race on the back of a win.

My short list for the 4.55 consists of Union Island, Bin End, Raaeidd and Trumpstoo. I like all four to be honest but if pushed for a single selection I would choose Raaeidd.

I have two selections at Naas, both in the 7.20, Beauty O’Gwaun and Timabyira.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Katie Scorgie.

 

Yarmouth stages an interesting card tomorrow. In the 3.00 I am Gun For Sale may be worth a second look. He has been placed in his last couple of runs but in both he has raced too keenly. If he settles better tomorrow he would go close.

Ithbaat who runs in the 3.30 was 2^nd behind an odds on Henry Cecil favourite over course and distance on his last start and can go one better.

Hopefully we can ignore Cadre’s latest run when he finished last of 11 at Lingfield as he was found to be lame afterwards. He looked a progressive sort when winning at Kempton last September and is worth another chance in the 4.00.

The consistent Street Power has the benefit of Ryan Moore in the saddle and is my selection in the 4.30.

Falcativ won his final two starts last season and looked a horse very much on the upgrade. He can land the 5.00 for trainer Luca Cumani.

Bagber has been running well without being able to get his head in front. He should again give a good account in the 7.50 at Windsor.

Tuesday selections;

Beverley 4.00 – High Office

Lingfield 6.20 – Bennelong

Warwick 3.50 – Mirrored

Picture courtesy of the artist Katy Sodeau.