Flat Racing; Thursday 31st May

[Lars]

A 17 runner handicap isn’t always the best place to find a solid bet, but HEIGHT OF SUMMER (18:15) shaped nicely on seasonal reappearance last time and with the good pace and stiffer track likely to suit today, she’s overpriced at her current double figure price. Lightly-raced with only 7 starts to date, her best form has come on polytrack but she’s hardly had much of a chance on turf away from slow ground or competitive maidens, so she’s unexposed on grass in that respect. Her sole victory came over this trip at Kempton back in August off a 1lb lower mark, a win where she was value for more especially as they didn’t go quick early on and she had to make plenty of ground up from the rear. She shaped as if she’d get further but her subsequent two starts were disappointing, with slower ground at Goodwood likely to blame before a fairly lifeless effort back at Kempton over 1m4f. Those two efforts were last year and her seasonal reappearance two weeks ago was very encouraging. Held-up, she was ridden hands and heels throughout and stayed on nicely. It was a promising effort especially coming from a yard that often leaves plenty to work with for those making a seasonal debut and she should have come on for that run quite significantly. The stiffer finish at Sandown today will help, given she might need a test at this 1m2f trip and the likely decent pace, with 17 runners and three usual pacesetters, should lead to them going at least a decent clip, an obvious benefit. Height Of Summer is obviously handicapped to go close off a rating of 70; given she won off 69 last year and although the Chris Wall yard are struggling for winners of late, his horses aren’t running badly in the main and I’m not overly concerned on that front. She’ll need to find the gaps in a big-field like this but at a price of 14/1; I’m willing to take the chance that they’ll come. She’ll probably need significant rain to stay away but it’s forecast to do so and given she’s unexposed on fast turf and easily looks capable of improving past her current mark, she is worthy of the usual stakes. Bets 18:15 Sandown – Height Of Summer; 2pts @ 14/1 Bet365, BetVictor (bog)

[Bathtime For Rupert]

Re: Flat Racing; Thursday 31st May 8.55 Sandown - 2pts win Directorship @ 10/1 (Bet365) Playing my hand in one of the most competitive races of the day but that means there could be some value to be had and although Patrick Chamings' runner will have to improve again to take this off higher than his previous winning marks, there was plenty to like on his seasonal reappearance after he thrived last year. He won twice in the summer off marks of 84 and 86 (the latter decisively) which gives hope that a mark of 90 may not be too much to handle. Conditions suit ideally with him having a career record at Sandown of 71632275 which reduces to 13225 when taking out races on soft ground, over 1m2f and when returning from a break. Even the 5th last year saw him go down by 1l so he does enjoy it round here on a good surface. His efforts since his decisive 2l win over 7f at Newbury have been promising, and a bit better than the formbook suggests I think. He was a staying on 9th of 29 over 7 at Ascot next time out when isolated a little bit up the middle of the track and was doing his best work late on. Shaped as if he definitely wants a mile ideally and was drawn on the wrong side at Newmarket on his final run of 2011. He was 3rd of 8 in his group with both those ahead of him running well since, and the race on the whole worked out well. I can forgive that, especially as he returned with a highly encouraging 5th at Kempton recently. He suffered from a bit of bad luck in running, both mid-race and up the straight but kept on really well under a ride which wasn't too hard on him. He went down by 1 1/2l in the end with today's pilot George Baker in the saddle. That effort off this mark suggested he could win races still and hopefully he'll have come on a bit for that too. The yard's horses are running okay and I'd be surprised if we didn't get a big run from this one with conditions to suit and hopefully his turn of foot can prove a potent weapon once more.