Today’s horse racing preview comes from three meetings with selections coming from Doncaster, Yarmouth and The Curragh. Again, the run of the mill is certainly not going my way at present, I have witnessed two maidens in Ireland over the past two days and both horses have been backed into favouritism and finished last, maybe a different approach towards these maidens is required.
15.30 Doncaster – 188bet.co.uk Handicap (8f) (0-95)
Richard Hannon saddled the 2013 winner of this race Intrigo who is now trained by Charlie Appleby, the trainer saddles Mustaarid who was just beaten here at Doncaster two runs back when a head behind City of Joy who went on to finish midfield in this year’s Brittania Stakes, the third place Bless Him actually won the Brittania stakes so a good line of form.
He finished fifth in the Silver Bowl at Haydock in which has also produced winners such as Fire Brigade, the runner up Indian Dandy also ran a creditable fourth at Ascot in the same corresponding race.
Being sired by Australian sprinter Elzaam you would have thought this index was too far, but the dam Symbol of Peace is where the stamina comes from who won over 9.5f in her career., The sire never won on ground this soft nor did the dam who done most of her racing on the all-weather, for that reason I am willing to overlook him. Bryan Smart’s yard has been among the winners in recent weeks and looks to have a nice gelding in Helovaplan. He has won off marks of 68 & 74 which included a win over course and distance two weeks ago.
Now I am very confused in what Timeform have stated in their analysis of this race that Helovaplan is not effective on soft ground, considering the sire Helmet won three times on soft to heavy ground, so I am summarising that Helovaplan’s one defeat on soft ground has made them dismiss him out of hand, he is still one on the upgrade and won well here.
Marco Botti’s Moolazim a winner on this blog just over two weeks ago will have to defy a 7lb penalty for his impressive win at Yarmouth, but gets the services of Ryan Moore once more, this is a stiff test though making this hike up the graded ladder.
With this being a really tight knit handicap, the horse I was taken with despite still looking for his first transition win is Simon Crisford’s Century Dream. His fourth in a competitive handicap at Newbury has to put him in with a cracking chance of recording his second career win. Doncaster is a good front running course and will play into Crisford’s colt advantages, William Buick takes over from Harry Bentley this afternoon and my first confident selection.
Century Dream : 2pt Win @ 5/2 (BOG)
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16.00 Doncaster – Read Silvestre De Sousa at 188bet Maiden Fillies Stakes (10.1f)
Sir Michael Stoute won this corresponding race last year with Ruscombe and are once more well represented here with Superioritycomplex. After finishing last on debut at Newbury she was very significantly stepped up to 9f when just denied at Salisbury to a neck under Pat Dobbs. She is the daughter of Hard Spun who was more effective on quick ground, but his last career run came on a slow surface on the all-weather when finishing runner up in the Breeders Cup Classic.
The dam Justlookdonttouch has not got that many progeny’s in training in fact just the selection and Abingdon who won her fourth career race last week, so the two filly off springs are most definitely equipping themselves over middle distances and on that evidence the selection here.
What A Home ran a good third on debut for Willie Haggas at Newbury with three lengths back in fifth was Shimmering Light. Ben Curtis takes over from James Doyle this afternoon, is that a plus we will see, but she looked like a step up in trip was needed sooner than later. Others to focus on is Luca Cumani’s Kitty Boo who finished second on her turf debut at Nottingham, her short head defeat to what can only be described an average participant from the Mick Channon yard, she will have to show more this time around.
Superioritycomplex : 2pts Win @ 3/1 (BOG)
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16.10 Yarmouth – Grosvenor Casino Of Great Yarmouth Handicap (8f) (0-105)
I think the penny has definitely dropped with Michael Bell’s Fire Brigade, I tipped him up here when he won at Haydock just holding on by the shortest of margins. With William Buick at Doncaster this a good opportunity for Luke Morris to pick up a spare winning ride.
De Sousa rode Fire Brigade to success at Newmarket two runs back, but prefers To Dibba of Roger Varian’s, another winner tipped up on this blog five weeks ago. He went about his business in good style putting two and a half lengths between him and his nearest rival. The step up in trip should not inconvenience this son of Dubawi, and already a winner on soft ground so more to come.
Now it’s hard when two blog winners go head to head, but I am hoping Fire Brigade can use his experience over the lightly raced To Dibba, who has the advantage also of winning over the index on soft ground.
Fire Brigade : 2pt Win @ 4/1 (BOG)
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19.15 Curragh – Hackett Apprentice Derby (12f)
Two I am drawn to in this is Joseph O’Brien’s Thomas O’Malley and Johnny Murtagh’s Full Court Press. Both trainers have won this race, young Joseph last year with Arya Tara and Johnny back in 2015 with Jocular, both had significantly booked the same jockeys.
Firstly, Thomas O’Malley who should have finished a lot closer at Gowran Park last week under today’s pilot Anna O’Brien. She has no claim this time around however they have scrapped into the race with a nice light weight. Despite being 0-10 he has run some solid races and is only having his third campaign run of 2017, one for the shortlist for sure now stepping up in trip.
On to an outsider for Johnny Murtagh who won this back in 2015 with a 20/1 shot who was also coming into the race with a career record of 0-8 as was last year’s winner who was 0-5. It seems to be a race for horses that have been running well without winning. The last time we saw Full Court Press was when he finished fifth in last year’s Shergar Cup Classic running off a rating of 86. With trips that have not been suiting him, this step back up to 12f I think could see a much more positive run from the four year old.
Thomas O’Malley : 1pt each way @ 7/1 (BOG)
Full Court Press : 1pt each way @ 33/1 (BOG)
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