Between Newton Abbot and Windsor – both live on Sky Sports Racing – Elliot David nominates five horses to follow, including a 9/1 shot at the latter.
BASHFUL BOY
3.13 Newton Abbot
Having spent much of 2023 in a higher grade, this drop back into Class 4 company and return to Newton Abbot could be the catalyst for David Pipe’s BASHFUL BOY returning to the winners’ enclosure.
The eight-year-old seems to need this true summer jumping ground with all four hurdle wins coming on Good or Good to Firm, the last of those off a mark of 117 over 2m5 1/2f here back in July 2023. As said, he’s been up into Class 3 since and finding life too difficult in winter ground, but the mark has slid to 115 as a result.
Now returning to the scene of his last win on ground he will appreciate, this small-field scenario looks very similar to that which saw him dictate matters to win last year and with an ability to stay further than the 2m2 1/2f here I’d like to see Jack Tudor making plenty of use of him.
ALACRITY
5.06 Windsor
Sometimes a horse’s pedigree will provide all the clues you need and that seems a case in point with Andrew Balding’s Rausing-bred filly ALACRITY. By Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man out of successful broodmare Almirante she’s a half-sister to four winners, three of those over 10f and further, including Listed winner Albaflora and Group 2 winner Alyssa.
It was therefore no surprise that following two promising starts over 7f and 1m, stretching out to 1m2f at Lingfield in November saw this filly get off the mark with ease. Given three of the siblings achieved ratings of 100+, you’d say her opening mark of 74 ought to be well within range now stretching out further to a 1m3 1/2f trip.
This does look an open heat, certainly one worth taking notes of, and following a winning handicap debut at Kempton, similar comments to Alacrity will apply to Hughie Morrison’s Caprelo. The son of Ulysses looks a horse to follow this season as a half-brother to a host of smart stayers from Summerdown Stables including Marmelo and Vent De Force.
Elsewhere, Ralph Beckett hands a handicap debut to Malinka who is another that looks likely to improve for this distance and as a half-sister to a useful French Group 3 winner in Makaloun she ought to prove better than her rating of 69 in time.
RAHEENA
6.10 Windsor
We’ve got a really deep field for this Fillies’ Maiden where a host of beautifully bred three-year-olds look for their breakthrough success. You can make cases for plenty, not least market principals Clove Hitch and Cat Ninja.
The former looks the ‘form pick’ with her recent effort behind Dante winner Economics looking strong while the Gosden first string, a 350,000gns half-sister to Guineas winner Cashet, made a hugely promising debut on April 30 and ought to come on bundles for it.
My eye is drawn however to the returning RAHEENA, who really caught the eye from off the pace in a deep Newmarket Maiden back in August. The race won by Fillies’ Mile third See The Fire yielded six subsequent winners from the beaten horses including the now 97-rated third Beautiful Love.
Simon & Ed Crisford’s filly was sent off a well fancied 7/2 chance but never truly got involved following a slow start, showing her inexperience on a track riding to suit prominent racers. She’s a half-sister to three winners for the Gainsborough team and makes some good each-way appeal.
Trainer John Gosden has an eye-catching duo tonight at Windsor
AMAZONIAN DREAM
6.40 Windsor
It looks a wide-open affair where you could make a case for most of the seven runners but with seemingly plenty of pace on offer it could set up nicely for Rod Millman’s AMAZONIAN DREAM.
The five-year-old looked unsuited by heavy ground here on May 6 when simply never in the race but his best efforts last season, including a course and distance victory off a mark of 76, look to give him a strong shout here with Oisín Murphy back in the saddle.
What’s more, he ought to be suited by the setup of this race with seemingly plenty of pace on offer. Each of Many A Star, Cuban Breeze and Almaty Star have seemingly one way of operating and that’s pressing the accelerator. If the pacy trio reprise the same tactics, Murphy ought to be able to sit in behind and pounce late on.
ROCKING ENDS
7.10 Windsor
A change of scenery could prove the catalyst for this quirky but talented sprinter to harness that ability. The recent switch from Brett Johnson to Tom Clover comes after a fairly significant slide down the handicap from a rating of 89 to his current 81, which puts the four-year-old gelding just 2lb above his last winning mark.
Having run excellent races for second off marks of 87 on not one but two occasions, including over 6f at Windsor, he could in theory be well treated now reappearing. He possesses plenty of speed and that 6f trip may just have stretched him, so now drawn low in stall 1 with Rossa Ryan in the saddle, I’m hoping the rider uses this horse’s undoubted speed to great effect.
The stands side rail at Windsor can be something of a golden highway when the ground gets quick and though there’s sure to be challengers, I’ll side with ROCKING ENDS to see them all off.