Good ground forecast
for today’s card at Windsor and there is a terrific 12f handicap for
three-year-olds. I am convinced there are races to be won with Zoran who is
visored for the first time this afternoon by Hugo Palmer and is drawn out wide returning
from an 81-day lay-off. He is one to have on side in the weeks to come but
Spanish Kiss (6.00) gets the vote to build on his eye-catching third at
Lingfield last time on his first start over today’s trip.
The selection had the
worst of the draw at Lingfield and jockey Callum Shepherd had to drop in at the
back of the pack in a slowly run race before flashing home in third. Jason
Watson takes over in the saddle this afternoon for William Knight and he can
race from the same mark on his turf debut. The colt is bred to be as effective
on turf as he is on an all-weather surface although he is a big unit and
today’s tight turns may be less than ideal.
Historical (7.00) is
bred to be much better than her current mark of 65 and Andrea Atzeni must have
advised connections that she was not devoid of pace as she drops back in trip
from 12 to 10f despite doing her best work late on at Beverley last time. The
filly faces largely exposed rivals this evening and Kevin Ryan fits his
daughter of New Approach with first-time cheek-pieces tonight.
In the fillies Novice
Stakes Dhabayah (5.30) looked smart when winning at Haydock on debut and she
can maintain her unbeaten record for William Haggas. The filly was slowly away
and green on debut, but she was well on top at the end of her race and the
runner up has subsequently gone one better.
There are showers
forecast for Perth where Walkin In The Rain (2.40) would be an appropriate
winner if the meteorologists are to be believed. Jim Goldie’s seven-year-old finished
runner up here over an extended 2m 4f off this mark last time and the return to
three miles on decent ground should see him break his maiden tag.
The Boola Bee is
chasing her hat-trick in the 3m handicap chase and she could still be ahead of
the handicapper given she has only been raised 10lbs for those successes and
gets on well with 7lb claimer Tom Buckley.
Monbeg River (4.50) is
a personal favourite of mine and looks well handicapped off his current mark.
He has never won over today’s trip, but he was in the process of running a big
race when coming down four out at Stratford over an extended 2m 6f on his
reappearance. Coup De Pinceau would not want too much rain but is another to
consider in a cracking race.
I thought Edinburgh
Castle was unlucky not to finish closer at Chester last time and looks sure to
run another big race with Andrew Balding taking off 5lbs from his top-weight
with leading apprentice William Carver. The vote, however, in Leicester’s
finale goes to bottom-weight Prince Alex (4.55) who is chasing a hat-trick
having scored at Windsor and Beverley in recent weeks. The 3-year-old won
despite the ground – soft – last time and a 4lbs rise looks fair.
