Horse: Hermetic

Trainer: Ian Williams

What caught the eye: The first flag was the late support on the Exchange for this runner who was making his British debut and first start for Ian Williams and someone clearly thought that he was hugely overpriced and on a very workable opening mark of 82. 

He was ridden forward in the final race of day one of the Dante Meeting at York and applied pressure from the off where they went a very good gallop and given that he had won over 2m in France, the tactics way have been to try and run the sting out of those coming from off the pace. That didn’t quite come to fruition with him staying on at one pace but still managing to secure fourth place but it was a very encouraging start given that he’d not been seen on British shores previously and absent from a racecourse in 6 months. Add into the fact that trainer, Ian Williams was quite surprised when Supido won at Chester last weekend stating that his horses were all going to benefit from their initial outings this season. Therefore, perhaps we can mark this performance up!? 

When is he a bet: Hermetic holds an entry for the Northumberland Plate at the end of June and the step up in trip could be ideal given that aforementioned success over 2m in France. He is currently 50/1 for the race. However, he will need to go up in the handicap to get into the race and a 6-7lbs rise should secure him a spot so if the Northumberland Plate is the long term plan then he can be backed next time out and then a view can be taken for that bigger prize. 

It’s worth noting that Ian Williams targeted this race last year with Dancing In Paris who was tipped in an Ante-Post Angle column for the race last year at 40/1 before seeing plenty of money and sent off at 11/1 only to be cruelly denied by a neck so the trainer has prepared one for this target in recent years and Hermetic could be his main dart in 2026.

Horse: Darby Hill

Trainer: Paul Nolan

What caught the eye: When they turn for home at Punchestown on Wednesday evening she has just two rivals behind her and there appeared to be nothing of interest from what was out of picture as the front three battled out the finish but on closer examination this was a very interesting second start under rules. Everything about this race won’t have favoured her. This horse is x Yeats (Sire of Conflated, Noble Yeats, Chantry House, Flooring Porter etc) and therefore, is likely to be all stamina which won’t have been ideal at this 2m trip and then add into the fact that she jumped left the whole way round this right handed track. 

She was never put into the race and way off the leaders which was clearly by design yet she managed to pass 8-10 rivals from two out to the line and ultimately finished 6th and hit the line well enough. Looking back at the limited form I think there’s are wins with this mare and she was a 20L winner of a 3m point-to-point race and I’d be hopefully of a very nice price in two or three starts time. 

When is she a bet: One more run required for a handicap mark and she will be of interest when going left-handed and stepped up in trip in low class handicap affairs.

Horse: Leadman

Trainer: David O’Meara

What caught the eye: He won’t have gone overly unnoticed on Friday when second in the 7f handicap to open the final day of the Dante Meeting at York but he’s clearly a very well handicapped horse and may well have finished an awful lot closer to the winner had the race opened up for him. Danny Tudhope had to sit and suffer as he waited for the sea of horses in front of him to part. There appeared to be room to run into only for the door to slam shut again and Tudhope had to sit up on Leadman providing further frustration. 

Once there was open ground to run into he picked up extremely well and was the only horse from the pack that was hunting down the eventual winner. 

When is he a bet: He was running off a mark of 80 at York but has won off a mark of 83 as well as being beat by just a head when running off 88 at Newbury last August. I would circle the 7f handicap at Newmarket on your calendar where he won last year and he may well be aimed to go back-to-back in that race this season.

Horse: I Still Have Faith

Trainer: Stuart Williams

What caught the eye: He was a selection in the 14:50 at Newmarket this weekend and what could have gone wrong, did go wrong. He was keen in the early parts of the race, pulling for his head and exerting too much energy but that said, he still travelled powerfully into the race but there was absolutely nowhere to go for Marco Ghiani in the saddle. A wall of horses were in front of him and the more the race developed, the more of a mess it became. 

When is he a bet: He is one to back sooner rather than later with him in relatively good form with two second place finishes in his last four starts before coming in here. Potentially one to get onside next time out.

Horse: Woodstock

Trainer: Ruth Carr

What caught the eye: Another runner that I may have tipped and bet one run too early this weekend with Woodstock running into a place but seemingly having plenty more to offer than what we saw at Thirsk. He travelled powerfully through that race and while everyone was rowing away around him, Jo Mason was still sat motionless and I started counting my money at the 2f pole. He went up the inside with the rail to help but wasn’t given a hard time of things and I felt that he could have received more encouragement from the Pro-Cush and you couldn’t be certain as to whether he received any persuasion to go and win the contest. 

When is he a bet: He is 7lbs below his last winning mark (pending assessment from this run) and I am willing to put my neck on the block and go as far as to say that this horse, if getting conditions of trip and ground, WILL WIN next time out.