Hi all,
Last weekend’s racing won’t last long in the memory. The principle meeting was at Haydock, but it was heavy at the Lancashire track and I wouldn’t be too keen on the form unless the going was heavy.
The weather has been dreadful more autumnal than summer-like, and the racing hasn’t been much better this week. Mind you it’s given me a good chance to look at the form for Royal Ascot and crunch the numbers ready for my biggest betting week of the flat season.
On Saturday there isn’t one race above Listed Class but there’s some potentially competitive looking cards at York, Sandown & Chester to get us in the mood for Tuesday. More on that later.
There is no review of last weekend’s action in this week’s notebook, the racing just didn’t warrant it. So, it’s straight into the horses for the tracker.
This Weeks Eyecatchers
Thursday June 6th
Ripon
Anythingtoday, trained by David O’Meara, bounced back to form when runner-up to Speed Company in the Class 4, 1m 4f handicap. The 5-year-old has dropped down to a competitive mark based on form of the summer of 2017.
Given a hold up ride like the winner he took the lead inside the final furlong but was just run out of it in the final 100yds by an even better handicapped horse. The pair pulled nicely clear of the third at the finish and Anythingtoday at least showed he stays 1m 4f.
The handicapper has nudged the gelding up 1lb for this effort, but he remains 3lb below his last winning mark. There is a Class 4 handicap like this in him up North.
Saturday June 8th
Chelmsford
Ironclad, trained by Hugo Palmer. It’s been a tough start to the season for the trainer but surely, he will turn the corner before long. Ironclad is a colt he can look forward to in the coming weeks. The son of Dubawi, a half brother to Regal Reality, has now improved with each of his three starts in novice/maiden company.
Putting in his best performance when runner-up in the 1m 2f maiden that concluded the Chelmsford card. The 3-year-old looked like he was coming with a winning run inside the final furlong but just couldn’t get passed the gutsy eventual winner.
He now qualifies for handicaps and a mark of 81 look more than workable given he’s bred to be 100+ horse.
Udontdodou, trained by Richard Guest, looks to be running into form based on his last two efforts at Chelmsford. Back in Class 2 company he ran well enough to finish a 2 ½ length 4th of 10 in the 6f Class 2 handicap won by Lord Riddiford. The 6-year-old was doing his best work at the finish and is on a competitive mark.
He’s now dropped back down last season’s winning mark of 88 and will surely be placed to advantage sooner rather than later.
Haydock
Bernardo O’Reilly, trained by Richard Spencer, was returning from a 228-day absence, and ran a race full of promise with the rest of the season in mind. The 5-year-old, twice a winner on good to soft last season, was slowly away in the 6f handicap but was staying on well enough to finish 6th of 15.
All five of his career wins have come on good to soft – 4 wins from 5 runs +49.50 with form figures 11191. He’s also very effective in big fields – 2 wins from 2 runs +28 in field sizes 16+. He’s 0 wins from 1 run above Class 3 company but it’s worth noting he was the 4/1 joint favourite for a Class 2 Doncaster handicap last September.
With this race under his belt he looks set for another decent season when he gets some juice in the ground.
Newmarket
Blown By Wind, trained Mark Johnston, has returned from a winter break in good form finishing runner-up at Leicester on his return and occupying that same position in a better race. The son of Invincible Spirit was the pick of the paddock and just failed to give 11lb to an improving William Haggas colt.
The handicapper has nudged Blown By Wind up 3lb for this effort but he’s a colt with scope for more improvement and showed that he stays 7f. There is a nice pot in him this season. He has an entry in a 6f handicap at York on Saturday.
Stylehunter, trained John Gosden. Sent off the 3/1 favourite, the 4-year-old was far too keen on first start for 228-days and his first run since an off-season gelding operation.
Last year he was 6th of 30 in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot, beaten just 2 ½ lengths at the finish.
On the face of it his 5th of 7 looks a disappointing effort but the race should have taken the freshness out of him. Looks the sort for a big field handicap like the Royal Hunt Cup or Cambridgeshire where he will be able to settle better. He remains one to be interested in going forward.
Cheers
John