Racing Chat - Saturday 25th May

[The Brigadier]

Ten races from ITV - a bumper afternoon for us racing enthusiasts. Good luck and here are my views. 

 

Haydock 1.15

The first of five races covered by the ITV team at the Lancashire track is the valuable three year old handicap Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap run over a mile with a field of thirteen going to post. The ground at the Lancashire course will be very testing with plenty of rain falling on top of 5mm of watering put down by the course on Tuesday (how crazy was that!). One horse who will love testing ground and has a good record here is the Tom Dascombe trained Nellie Leylax whose form figures on soft or worse read 111441. He’s up 5lb for making all over course and distance last month and is a serious player here. The other two on my shortlist are top weight Blue Lemons who also appears to relish soft ground and course and distance soft ground maiden winner Candonomore. The pick has to be Nellie Leylax with a small each way saver on Tim Easterby’s Candonomore.

 

NELLIE LEYLAX 1 point each way @ 13-2 William Hill 1/5th 1234

CANDONOMORE 1/2 point each way @ 9-1 Coral 1/5th 1234

 

Goodwood 1.30

The first of two races covered by the ITV cameras at the Sussex track is this competitive three year old 7F class 2 handicap which is run around a bend which gives those drawn low a big advantage. The winner of the last ten renewals were drawn in 3,6,3,2,3,2,4,11,5 and 3. With such a bias we’ll just concentrate on those drawn in single figures. Andrew Balding’s Al Shabab Storm heads the short list having circumnavigated the whole field from a poor draw at Chester last time when surprisingly well supported. He’s already won at the track and has drawn stall 4. Expect Harry Davies to make the most of that draw and run a big race. The most unexposed runner is the Ralph Beckett trained Qirat who’s making his handicap debut having been gelded and a market move for him would be very interesting. From stall 2 Newsreader from the Kevin Philippart De Foy stable starts out in handicaps from a reasonable mark and can make his presence tell but it has to be Al Shabab Storm for me.

 

AL SHABAB STORM 1 point each way @ 5/1 BetVictor 1/5th 12345

 

Haydock 1.50

The days feature race at the Lancashire track is the Group 2 Temple Stakes run over a distance of 5F. Ten horses have declared for the race with the highest rated in the field Live In The Dream whose not been seen since flopping at the Breeders Cup last November and his trainer, Adam West stating in the week that he will need the run. He’s opposable with the horse who beat him in the Palace House Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket a year ago, Vadream the one to be with. His soft ground (or worse) form figures read 7131731 and is a real mudlark who will relish the conditions. The Australian horse Asfoora may well also need the run reading between the lines of recent comments from his connections and a bigger threat may come from one of the three three year olds in the shape of the Andrew Balding trained Flora Of Bermuda who showed last year that he likes soft ground by winning well at Goodwood in August. He’s worth a small each way saver.

 

VADREAM 1 point each way @ 5/1 William Hill 1/5th 123

FLORA OF BERMUDA 1/2 point each way @ 22/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234

 

Goodwood 2.05

The Height Of Fashion Stakes is a listed race for three year old fillies and the last real Oaks trial for next weekend and is run over a trip of 10F. The highest rated in the field is the Charlie Johnston trained Francophone who was runner up in the Musidora at York earlier in the month. That was a weak renewal however and she had previously won a Southwell handicap (second has won since mind). John & Thady Gosden’s Regal Jubilee was my each way pick in the 1000 Guineas and although blowing out there I do feel she’s better than that run and hopefully a step up in trip here will suit this Cheveley Park Stud owned three year old. Previously to the 1000 Guineas she had finished a neck ahead of the eventual 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka which may suggest there was something amiss at Newmarket. Despite a 3lb penalty for a listed win on heavy ground last November at Newmarket she’s worth one last chance to prove she has a decent future.

 

REGAL JUBILEE 1 point each way @ 4/1 BetVictor 1/5th 123

 

Haydock 2.25

Eight have declared for the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes run over a distance of 6F and used as a trial for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next month. It’s hard to look beyond Simon & Ed Crisford’s Vandeek who looked very smart as a juvenile winning all four of his starts culminating in a Group 1 double at Deauville and Newmarket with the victory at the former being gained on very soft ground. With conditions unlikely to worry him he can take this en route to Royal Ascot. The each way value against him may lie with Andrew Balding’s Purosangue who’s proven on soft and had one of today’s opponents Esquire 3/4L behind in second when winning at York in the mud last October. He may chase home the favourite.

 

VANDEEK 2 points win @ 8/11 William Hill

PUROSANGUE 1/2 point each way @ 9/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

York 2.45

The first of two races covered by the ITV team is this class 2 5f handicap. Top weight Korker carried my tip when running well at the last York meeting when finishing strongly to take fourth behind Clarendon House and looks sure to be thereabouts although a mark of 107 looks plenty high enough. Charlie Hills’s Rabaah was a bit disappointing on his re-appearance and drops to the minimum trip here. He’s another with a chance. The horse I like however is Ralph Beckett’s Starlust who since he finished runner up in a decent nursery at the Ebor meeting last year has kept top grade company including when third, beaten 1 1/4L to Big Evs in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last November. This represents a drop in class and as a three year old gets a healthy 8lb age allowance for this time of the year. Beckett is beginning to get rolling with his yard and he looks good each way value now dropped to the minimum trip.

 

STARLUST 1 point each way @ 9/1 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Haydock 3.00

Seven have declared for this class 3 7F 0-90 handicap although I do get the feeling that the current favourite English Oak could be pulled out due to the wet conditions. He was pulled out on good to soft last year at York so one would think that today’s terrain will be too slow for him. Let’s hope he runs as he is very opposable. In contrast Zip will love the conditions and should run a big race although at the prices I think it’s worth backing Ed Dunlop’s Sterling Knight. He’s two from two at the track, has dipped under his last turf winning mark and is a winner on heavy ground. Morgan Cole claims 5lb and gets the leg up here which further reduces his weight and he can run well each way.

 

STERLING KNIGHT 1 point each way @ 10/1 bet365 1/5 123

 

York 3.20

A healthy field of ten have declared for this Group 3 1M 6F Brontë Cup Fillies’ Stakes. Last year’s winner River Of Stars is the highest rated of the ten and Ralph Beckett’s five year old took this by a short head on his seasonal re-appearance last year so a lack of a recent outing is unlikely to be an issue for Rossa Ryan’s mount. She should run well along with the likes of Jack Channon’s Gather Ye Rosebuds although that one wants very deep ground it seems. William Haggas saddles an interesting runner in Safety Catch who won a listed race on the all-weather at Lingfield when last seen in November. A tricky enough contest but it’s Beckett’s River Of Stars who is the selection.

 

RIVER OF STARS 1 point win @ 7/2 Coral

 

Haydock 3.30

A decent sized field of fifteen gather for this class 2 2M 0-100 handicap. The race has a very open look about it with many holding claims. Top weight Nothing To Sea would be amongst them who was last seen winning at Sandown over 1M 6F 303 days ago.This longer trip will no doubt suit and he should run well if tuned up. Ian Williams’s Law Of The Sea was runner up to the re-opposing Solent Getaway in this race last years and ran well at Chester at their May meeting. He too has claims along with Tim Easterby’s bottom weight Zimmerman who looks the value pick of the field. 2lb higher than when winning over course and distance last August on heavy ground he’ll have no problems with the muddy conditions and with a record here which reads 181 and conditions in his favour can run a big race at a nice price.

 

ZIMMERMAN 1 point each way @ 10/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Curragh 3.40

Just eight three year old colts run in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas in which we have a very warm favourite in the shape of the Richard Hannon trained Rosallion. He was the only horse to put it up to Notable Speech in the English version going down by 1 1/2L in second place with stable mate Haatem 3 1/4L back in third and looks held here. A smart two year old he has an excellent chance as long as the ground doesn’t go very soft he can beat the Aidan O’Brien trio of River Tiber, Unquestionable (1L behind the pick in France last back end) and Mountain Bear. He is a strong selection.

 

ROSALLION 2 points win @ 10/11 bet365

 

[ivans82]

Vadream  ,  Vandeek   ,  Rosallion  treble for me .