Wednesday 30th May 2018

15.20 Nottingham

Melodies was supposed to run in a handicap at Chelmsford about 3 weeks ago but was a NR under veterinary advice. That looked a stronger race than this and hopefully she’ll be thereabouts. Jim Crowley who rides Nottingham particularly well, gets the leg up.

Dam is a half-sister to Mount Nelson and Monitor Closely. Melodies made an encouraging debut at Salisbury doing good late work under hands and heels. She did well in two subsequent novice races. She beat the highly regarded Veracious in her second race before running well on her final start in a Kempton novice race, which is also working out well. Given her grand dam produced Mount Nelson, she has potential over trips around 10f. Her opening mark is not lenient but I think she could still be competitive given her good level of form so far.

1 pt win MELODIES (8/1 Bet365)

Tuesday 29th May 2018

Caradoc was very impressive on Saturday and is definitely one to keep on side going forward. I didn’t advise a specific bet so won’t be including it in the stats. Master Grey was poor bringing the total is down to +13.75 pts.

2 from the handicappers to follow and 1 eye-catcher tomorrow.

13.40 Lingfield

Port of Call ran in cheek pieces on handicap debut and wears them again at Lingfield tomorrow. He hung quite badly throughout last time and doesn’t look the most straightforward ride. He needs to come on for that run, as this race looks better; Beachwalk and Global Spirit look like they have live chances.

Given three quick runs in September to get him handicapped. Made an eye-catching debut at Sandown, when missing the break but stayed on well in a strong race, where the second, fourth, fifth, ninth and twelfth have all won since. He didn’t handle Epsom on his second start, so that effort can be ignored. No match for a decent looking winner on third start at Kempton, given a hands and heels ride once beaten. He has since been gelded and put away for the winter. The only reservation is that his pedigree doesn’t scream stamina. He looks to have some ability, based on his debut run, so he should be able to pick up a handicap off this mark on a flat galloping track.

1 pt win PORT OF CALL (7/1 general)

16.20 Leicester

This looks really competitive with last time out winners Nibras Galaxy and Immortal Romance holding strong chances of following up. I put Robinson Crusoe in my tracker after his run last time at Nottingham, he flew home in a decent looking handicap over a mile and the extra 2 furlongs look ideal here. I will stick with Ghazan, whose novice form has worked out well and looks like he could be well ahead of his mark if progressing as I would expect from two to three. I do expect plenty of winners to come out of this race.

Half-brother to Ayrad and Dawn of Hope, costing 70,000 Euros as a yearling. Ghazan made steady progress in his three starts as a two-year-old to get him handicapped. First time out, he ran at Salisbury running green and wide throughout. His third start at Nottingham was his best, in a race that is working out quite well so far. Ghazan served it up to the odds-on favourite (a promising Camelot two-year-old with John Gosden) quite a way out and did well to go with him as far as he did. The fourth in that race has since won a handicap off 74 and the 6^th horse bolted up in a maiden by 6 lengths next time out. Ghazan is bred to be better than his opening mark and if he continues to make progress then should be up to winning a handicap.

1 pt win GHAZAN (5/1 Sky bet)

One of my eye-catchers over the winter was Highland Sky who runs in the 14.30 at Redcar (4/1 general). He has looked very slow on all of his starts to date so it is no surprise to see him tackle 1 mile 6 on handicap debut. He wears a hood for the first time and 12 of the 18 runners David Simcock has sent to Redcar over the past 5 seasons have finished 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th.

Saturday 26th May 2018

Not a great day for my selections today, the total is down to +14.75 pts

16.10 Curragh

Symbolization is one of my dark horses for the season. He needs to improve significantly on what he has achieved to date if he is to make the frame here and I think 14/1 is too short so won’t be advising a bet.

Symbolization (Charlie Appleby)

Sire – Cape Cross. Dam – Yorkshire Lass

By the excellent sire Cape Cross, whose progeny progress well. The dam has won over a mile and a half and two miles one furlong so I would expect Symbolization to be able to race over middle distances as a three-year-old. He was strongly fancied on debut in a Newmarket maiden where he ran very respectably in second behind the 99-rated Vintager. He didn’t quite have the pace of the winner, which isn’t surprising given his breeding. He pulled three lengths clear of Chilean, who ran well in an excellent renewal of the Racing Post Trophy. Symbolization built on that debut run next time when beating Glendevon at Kempton. He is a big colt who will make a three-figure horse this season.

19.50 Salisbury

This selection is from my handicappers to follow and is certainly not a strong fancy. Master Grey won a 3 runner handicap last time out in bottomless ground over 1 mile 6 and faces different conditions tomorrow. Powerful Society is the interesting alternative after a striking run last time.

90,000 GNS yearling, brother to the useful dual listed winner, Carnachy. Has shown signs of ability on his first three runs before being gelded. The first was over 6f at Nottingham where he was both outpaced and green before starting to understand his job late on to pass a few horses. He was able to run up with the pace on his second start before fading and then being badly squeezed and hampered. His third run looked very much like an ‘educational’ run, never troubling the leaders and given a hands and heels ride. Master Grey definitely has ability and will only be able to show his best when upped in trip. His opening mark looks quite lenient.

1 pt win MASTER GREY (11/2 general)

An eyecatcher over the winter was Caradoc who runs in the 1.45 at Chester. He was an expensive purchase who travelled nicely on his only start to date in what looks a decent race where the winner, Highbrow ran well in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood today. My only concern would be if he possesses the speed to win this. He looks a big strong horse who gets 6lbs off two rivals ahead of him in the betting and I fancy him to beat them and is probably worth a bet at 7/2 (Bet 365, BetVictor).

Friday 25th May 2018

Arthenia and Gather are two horses I was really looking forward to seeing this season and they did not disappoint, returning at 15/2 and 6/1 respectively. The running total is +18.75 pts

Another busy day tomorrow with thoughts from three races

15.20 Bath

A weak race. Red Miracle drifted significantly in the betting on seasonal reappearance when the ground turned heavy and finished a long way behind. He will have come on for that run and a return to quicker ground should see him run a better race.

Made an encouraging debut at Salisbury in a decent looking event (the second, sixth and eighth have won since). She looked unsuited by the heavy ground on her second start. Her final start to date was in a strong looking maiden at Nottingham, where not many horses got into the race. She was given an easy time of it once beaten and didn’t have the pace to go with the leaders. She has loads of stamina in her pedigree - related to Keys and her dam is a sister to Clowance who finished second in an Irish Leger. She hasn’t been disgraced in some strong races to date, just lacking pace in the closing stages. She has ability and has been given a very workable mark.

1 pt win RED MIRACLE (12/1 Bet365, Ladbrokes)

15.45 Goodwood

A nice looking race. Highbrow is a worthy favourite after a solid effort behind Key Victory; an extra furlong will probably bring about further improvement. Aspetar was excellent on debut but is short enough for a much tougher race. Bombyx is an extremely talented horse, who will have come on plenty for his seasonal reappearance and is the type to keep on improving throughout the season. 

Showed a good attitude when winning against some good types on second start after a promising debut in a strong race at Newmarket. Bombyx has a proper middle distance pedigree being by Derby winner, Sir Percy. The dam has produced five horses with RPRs over 100, four of which were best over a mile and a half. Bombyx doesn’t have an official rating but a best guess would be mid 80s. I think he has the potential to be a three-figure horse.

1pt win BOMBYX  (3/1 Ladbrokes, Betfair Sportsbook, Coral)

17.45 Haydock

Both of these are from my handicappers to follow and were both well backed on their seasonal reappearances. Pentland Hills has been well backed again this evening and one firm are a stand out price. He was quite unlucky last time but his attitude needs to improve if he is to get his head in front. Chantresse ran well last time 2 lengths behind Last Enchantment, who ran respectably in a listed race at Goodwood today. The handicapper has put Chantresse down 1lb for that which seems quite generous. Her breeding doesn’t suggest she needs this longer trip but the way she ran last time suggests this trip will suit. This is a step into the unknown and she may need some more rain to be at her best.

A Karl Burke filly who’s best two runs of her three to date have come on soft ground. She made good late headway at Catterick on her third start, the form of which looks somewhat questionable. There are mixed messages in her pedigree regarding ideal trip, but she is a half-sister to Iveagh Gardens (RPR 109), who acted best of heavy ground. Her mark isn’t that lenient but she has shown some promise on her first three starts and should be able to pick up a handicap on ground with some ease in it.

By Motivator, out of a Galileo mare who stayed 11f. Pentland Hills has a strong stamina influence is his pedigree and should progress significantly with age. He made a pleasing debut at Haydock, where he was outpaced but far from disgraced. I think the winner of that race could be very useful. He then ran in two very strong novice races at Newmarket. He looked green on his second start and given a very easy ride from about two furlongs out. He was also given a strange ride on his third start where he was ridden way off the pace and outpaced early on. He was then gelded and put away for the winter. This horse has run in three very strong novice races over trips far too short and given Chris Wall’s good record with three-year-old handicappers, is one to look out for over the longer trips in 2018.

1 pt win PENTLAND HILLS (6/1 Bet 365)

1 pt win CHANTRESSE (9/1 Ladbrokes, William Hill)