Racing Chat - Saturday 22nd May

[The Brigadier]

Its attritional conditionals at all meetings tomorrow and we’re looking for real mud larks. Lets hope that all meetings survive. Here’s my early thoughts on Saturday’s 10 ITV races. 

Goodwood 140 

Roger Charlton’s Prince Alex was not disgraced on his re-appearance at Salisbury behind the useful Opera Gift this Ralph Beckett 4 year old looks the most likely winner. He ran up a five timer last season on all types of ground including twice on soft and he still looks like he may have some juice left in his mark of 86. Jason Watson, who’s had better weeks, takes over for the first time and will be hard to beat. It wouldn’t be a surprise if local mudlark Nuits St Georges outruns his double figure odds after flopping at Ascot - he’s better than that. 

PRINCE ALEX 2 points win @ 2/1 William Hill

Haydock 1.55 

Favourite Ffion must have a big chance here as a lightly raced David Loughnane 4 year old but preference at the prices is with the Ed Walker, who had a terrific York last week with pattern winners Starman and Primo Bacio, trained Molls  Memory who has her conditions to suit now. She shaped well when 5th to impressive York winner Boardman last week and the handicapper has dropped her to 84 which is the mark she won off of at Newbury last backend. The soft ground is the key to here and racing on the softest terrain she’s encountered this season can run a big race under that man Oisin Murphy again. 

MOLLS MEMORY 3 points each way @ 5/1 1/5th 5 places Skybet

Goodwood 210 

Favourite Al Zaraqaan is worth taking on here on ground that will be foreign to him having only raced on the all weather and fast ground. He’s opposed by David Simcock’s veteran gelding Desert Encounter who seemed in as good a form as he’s ever been when chasing home the progressive Waldkonig in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown last month. He handles any ground and Martin Harley gets to ride him for the first time at a track where his form figures are 212. Simcock was in fine form at the track on Friday with two winners. 

DESERT ENCOUNTER 2 points win @ 11/4 Bet365

Haydock 225 

Postileo is a progressive Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum owned Galileo colt certainly didn’t get the run of the race in the consolation Chester Cup last time when he was hampered at the start and couldn’t get into his stride. He eventually finished runner up to the easy winner Green Book who had the run of the race out in front and re-opposes here on 7lb worse terms for 4 3/4L. The selection has yet to race on a very soft surface although he was a winner at Salisbury on good to soft and the Chester run was on similar ground so hopefully even slower ground won’t inconvenience him. Regular pilot Andrea Atzeni remains at Newmarket so David Egan takes the reigns and should go close for trainer Roger Varian. 

POSTILEO 2 points win @ 4/1 Boylesports

York 2.40 

Roger Varian has some good chances around the country today none more so than his consistent 4 year old filly Believe In Love who’s won 5 of her 6 latest starts. She has to carry the burden of a 3lb penalty today for her Group 3 victory in France last October but as long as she’s straight enough (she won after a 139 day break last summer) she’s the form horse and can take this under Ray Dawson from the likes of Mighty Blue and Makawee. 

BELIEVE IN LOVE 2 points win @ 9/4 William Hill

Haydock 300 

The Silver Bowl Handicap is a handicap that is also worth following and this years renewal is no different although the size of the field is a bit disappointing. Roger Varian’s Night Of Thunder colt Raadobarg makes his handicap debut here off of what may well be a workable mark of 88. He’ll handle conditions well, having proved his effectiveness for soft ground when bolting up at odds on at Thirsk earlier this month. There are other promising types in the field but none more so than the selection and he can give Jack Mitchell a big handicap victory. 

RAADOBARG 3 points win @ 11/4 BetVictor

Curragh 320 

Aidan O’Brien has won the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas a record 11 times and saddles three here today. All 3 raced in the English 2000 Guineas three weeks ago and despite the fact that Ryan Moore appears to have chosen Wembley its Van Gogh who finish 13L ahead of him that day that is my pick. He’s proven on very soft ground as he won the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint Cloud last October on heavy ground. Seamus Heffernan takes the ride and it’ll be no shock were he to confirm his Newmarket form with his stablemates and run a big race here. Lucky Vega is the one to beat who ran so well to finish 3rd in the English 2000 although Jessie Harrington’s colt has to prove he is as useful on soft ground as he is on a faster surface. 

VAN GOGH 2 points each way @ 6/1 1/5th 1234

Haydock 335 

Unbeaten favourite  Dragon Symbal looks a sprinter going places and is on a five timer  but he’s only raced on the all weather and on good to firm ground. He may turn out to be very good but there’s no way I can be backing him on the likely soggy Haydock turf.

Charlie Hills is a dab hand with sprinters and his Muhaarar colt Mujbar is two from two on soft/heavy ground and looks decent value here on his favoured ground. He probably didn’t stay in the Greenham over 7F and the drop back to 6F could be the making of him. 

MUJBAR 2 points each way @ 8/1 1/5th 123 Paddy Power

York 3.50

Copper Knight is a standing dish here at York having won 5 of his 14 starts including at the Dante meeting 9 days ago from the re-appearing Mulzim and Mondammej. He’s sure to go well although the ground is likely to be a lot softer today and preference is for Michael Dodd’s Pendleton who’s likely to turn into a decent sprinter when conditions are ideal this season. He ran a stormer following a 560 day break when just touched off by Fresh at Ascot a fortnight ago and drops a furlong today to the minimum trip. He loves soft ground and as long as he doesn’t bounce will surely be involved in the finish. 

PENDELTON 2 points each way @ 7/1 1/5th 12345

Haydock 410 

John Quinn is a fine trainer of sprinters and saddles two here in his quest to win the Group 2 Temple Stakes. Both of his fillies are rated identically with Liberty Beach currently favoured in the betting but its Keep Busy who may just prevail today. Her form figures on soft or worse read 3142251 and despite not been seen since last year’s Abbaye on Arc De Triomphe day is a progressive sprinter who’s dam Look Busy won this race in 2009 and has the added assistance of Oisin Murphy riding for the very first time. 

KEEP BUSY 2 points win @ 10/3 Bet365

[fd1972uk]

Trixie bet for tomorrow. 

Will add another couple for tomorrow. 

Was going to put in Summerghandbut now a nr, so opted for Wembley.