CHILLI FILLI comes into the 3m Mares Listed Chase at Perth today as a relatively fresh horse and I expect her to be spot on for this assignment. A run in the Mares Chase at Cheltenham would have been more than likely a prep run for this race and she ran as expected. Outpaced when the race got going, she stayed on strongly up the hill to finish 6th which caught the eye. Henry Daly has campaigned her lightly this season, probably with the idea of running her through the Spring on her preferred sound surface. Some of her rivals today have been on the go for some time and might just be over the top so despite being the outsider of the 5, I wouldn’t be surprised if the selection does the business today.
Perth 3.50 – Chilli Filli
Saturday
It’s a busy Saturday up and down the country and there is plenty of racing on offer. It is the last day of the jumps season at Sandown and there are a couple of filthy, competitive handicaps to try and sort out. The 1.55 looks a wide open race but there aren’t many that are hiding too much I don’t think. One horse who might be hiding a few pounds from the handicapper is TWOMINUTES TURKISH who should appreciate this better ground. After easily winning at Fakenham, he only found Cadzand too good at Warwick after that. HIs return on soft ground can excused but that run should put him right for this assignment and I quite rate his chances tomorrow.
Later on the card, it’s a similar story in the 5.25 with not many of these looking all that well handicapped. Pam Sly’s HAAFAPIECE has caught my eye a few times this season and he is relatively unexposed over this sort of trip. He always does his best work at the finish over two miles and previous wins over this distance prove he does stay this far. The better ground is a big plus I can see him running a big race at a big price.
Up at Haydock, the flat season gets underway and I think FINEST SOUND might just be the banker on the card. Simon Crisford’s horse returned this season at Nottingham in a race which at the time had a strong look to it and with the third already coming out and winning the Spring Cup at Newbury last weekend, that confirms it was a good race. I rate the winner highly also so with that in mind I think Finest Sound, who was second that day, is a good thing tomorrow.
Sandown 1.55 – Twominutes Turkish
Sandown 5.25 – Haafapiece
Haydock 4.35 – Finest Sound