Andy has two cracks at the competitive 3yo handicap at Nottingham this afternoon.
4.50 Nottingham
In what looks a decent and competitive three-year-old handicap for the grade, ROAD TO DUBAI (best price 6-1) and PLEAD (best price 16-1) are taken against the field. The former has shaped well in all three starts to date and given that he has a pedigree which suggests middle distances will suit, there’s a decent chance that significant improvement will be forthcoming. Although he got readily left behind at Lingfield last time out, he had little chance of living with horses who were running 21 and change off the corner over 7f, but with the third horse out of that race, Arctic Sea, going on to boost the form with a success off a mark of 69 at Kempton last week, the prospects of George Scott having another winner has greatly been increased (four so far this season). The latter proved to be a bitter disappointment on handicap debut at Wolverhampton but in mitigation, things probably didn’t pan out as well as connections would have liked, so she could be worth another chance. Impressive visually and on the clock the time before at Lingfield, Archie Watson’s charge failed to get home at the Dunstall Park venue after getting involved in an unnecessary joust for the early lead, but with that all-important run under her belt and previous track form in the bag (runner-up to the potentially very smart Horseplay) the daughter of Dutch Art may still be capable of leaving a mark of 75 well behind in time.
6.00 Dundalk
YULONG XIONGYIN (NAP) (best price 11-4) made an impressive start to his career over today’s course back in December and is fancied to add to his tally despite dropping back down in trip. Clearly knowing his job on debut, Micky Halford’s inmate broke alertly to race on the speed early and then once taking up the running after a furlong, he took total command of the race throughout. Although the form of the race isn’t anything to get too wildly excited by, the manner of the performance suggests he’s capable of a good deal better and given how much pace he showed 126-days ago, a forceful ride from his favourable inside draw should make this promising colt difficult to catch in the straight.
8.30 Dundalk
San Remo will no doubt be all the rage here following three promising efforts as a two-year-old, but there’s plenty to like about ALLOGRAPHY’s (best price 3-1) career graph and he’s fancied to give the likely favourite all the trouble he can handle with fitness on his side. Micky Halford’s charge has really taken a liking to this surface and having gradually improved for each run, he finally got his just rewards at the fifth time of asking last time out. Always travelling like the winner, the son of Iffraaj won with more in hand than the official margin suggested and given how strong he was once given a flick with the whip inside the last two furlongs, a step up in trip looks just the ticket.
