Four tips from four different meetings this Bank Holiday.
16.40 Leicester
Some fairly interesting and lightly-raced types open to a good deal of improvement go to post for this three-year-old handicap but it might well turn out that the most exposed runner in the line-up, REDEMPTIVE (best price 15-8), has the final say.
Yet to win in 10 starts, David Elsworth’s inmate is getting ever-closer to that elusive victory and even though he got well and truly put in his place by Broughtons Flare at Newmarket last time out, the time figure of the race suggested he’d run to a personal best. Prior that decent effort, he’d just got nutted late on by Wall Of Sapphire in a wild finish at Windsor and a repeat of either of these two performances should see him go close to shedding his maiden tag.
16.55 Chelmsford
HARBOUR VISION (best price 5-1) found things happening a bit quick for him back on turf at Yarmouth last time out, but now he returns to the scene of some of his best ever performances, Derek Shaw’s grey has a decent chance of posting another victory at his happy hunting ground.
Although he’s run well elsewhere, four career wins at the Essex track shows his appreciation for this surface and his success here two starts ago epitomised what he’s all about. Coming from some way off the pace in a well-run affair, the son of Harbour Watch poked his nose in front where it mattered most and that went some way to making up for the disappointment of his previous run when he just failed to shine for one reason or another.
Nicely berthed today in stall three, a decent break should ensure he holds a good position, before going on to strike with his customary late charge down the lane.
17.25 Windsor
Capofaro will quite rightly capture all the headlines in this concluding handicap having been expertly handled to land five races in a short space of time, but as those victories have come on the all-weather, Jamie Osbourne’s tenacious gelding is going a little into the unknown and under those circumstances, he’s passed over on this occasion in favour of MY LADY CLAIRE (best price 22-1).
Having her third outing for a mandatory mark at Salisbury last time out, Ed Walker’s filly found herself towards the rear of the 18-strong field as the pack approached halfway, but in picking up takingly inside the final three furlongs, she stayed on nicely to finish a never-nearer eighth.
Looking a deeper into the nuts and bolts of that form, and it’s pretty clear we are dealing with an above-average bunch of fillies as not only as the winner bolted up since and booked herself a ticket to Royal Ascot, but the likes of Alhakmah (won at Lingfield) Neon Sea (won at Goodwood on Saturday), Manana Chica (won at Newmarket next time out) have all boosted the form since, and considering the daughter of Cityscape finished on the coat tails of these smart fillies without getting the clearest of runs late on, she must have some sort of chance of being competitive on handicap debut of a mark of 65.
18.45 Ballinrobe
ELM GROVE (best price 15-2) has run really well in competitive large-field handicaps at the two big spring festivals at Punchestown and Fairyhouse respectively and with her sights slightly lowered here this evening, she’s fancied to figure prominently back against her own sex.
A game winner on deep ground at Limerick back in March, the daughter of Arcano went on to post one of her better career performances in defeat when fourth in a 22-strong field behind The Holy One two starts ago, and she went on to run an almost identical race against more hardened handicappers two weeks later. As both races were well-run and have thrown up subsequent winners, the form looks solid and having scored on the Flat the last time she shipped up at tonight’s track a year ago, Madeleine Tylicki’s mare is entitled to the utmost respect.
