GG tipster Andrew Mount reveals his list of eyecatchers from the past week’s racing. Check out his thoughts below, plus a handy sign-up offer from our friends at William Hill.
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ALMOST AN ANGEL (fourth, 7f handicap, Leicester, Sunday, August 8)
ALMOST AN ANGEL raced closest to the stands’ side ‘swamp’ and the David Evans-trained three-year-old could only finish a modest fourth. This run was worthy of an upgrade and he should prove capable of adding to his earlier wins at Newcastle and Chepstow.
CASTLE STAR (fourth, 6f Group 1, Curragh, Sunday, August 8)
CASTLE STAR is a dual course winner but his patient style often leaves him vulnerable and it did so here. The 7-2 shot broke better than on some occasions but was still last at the halfway stage. He stayed on well but challenged widest of all and, after looking set to go close, had to settle for a two-length fourth. A change of venue and/or a step up in trip could benefit him.
DASHING ROGER (won, 1m handicap, Ascot, Saturday, August 7)
DASHING ROGER, poorly drawn when only fourth at Salisbury on his penultimate start, bounced back with a comfortable success in the Shergar Cup Mile. He’s won just once from eight starts on the all-weather – outclassing his opponents off a mark of 71 – and is best judged on his turf form figures of 2316212104131 (5-13), improving to 121210131 (5-9) at 1m only. The ‘duck egg’ came on his reappearance when 80-1 for the Lincoln and he could make his mark in Listed or Group 3 company.
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JOE RIGGENS (won, 5f maiden, Curragh, Sunday, August 8)
Sunday’s Curragh card was a prominent-racers benefit, with the winners described by the Racing Post as ‘prominent, led and made rest after 1f’, ‘close up’, ‘briefly led, soon headed but prominent’, ‘made all’, ‘held up in rear’, ‘prominent, soon led’, ‘close up’ and ‘chased leaders’.
There might have been something of a pace collapse in the 5f maiden won by JOE RIGGENS after blinkered pair Blue Umbrella and Valhalla’s Dream took each other on from an early stage but Edward Lynam’s three-year-old still came from further back than the runner-up and third. This was an impressive stable debut and he’s open to plenty more improvement.
LILKIAN (won, 6f handicap, Lingfield, Saturday, August 7)
LILKIAN, who had done well to finish fourth from a poor wide draw at Wolverhampton on his previous outing, bounced back to winning ways in the 6f Class 5 handicap. He was value for more than half-length margin and will be hard to beat if bidding to follow up at Chelmsford on Thursday where he’s entered in the 8.22.
MERLIN’S LADY (won, 7f fillies’ novice stakes, Ayr, Monday, August 9)
All the winners raced prominently throughout, with the exception of MERLIN’S LADY who sat in midfield before coming through late to make a winning debut. She scored with more in hand than the three-quarters of a length margin suggested and looks an exciting prospect.
MUTABAAHY (fourth, 5f handicap, Redcar, Thursday, August 5)
The ground at Redcar last Thursday was described as ‘good’ but the tailwind helped to produce some very fast times. It was also a big advantage to race centre to stands’ side. MUTABAAHY (stall 1 of 6) had the worst of the draw in this 5f handicap and looked to be going nowhere until switched more towards the centre in the closing stages. He took off to finish on the heels of the leaders in fourth and can be given another chance.
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ROYAL SCIMITAR (third, 6f handicap, Ascot, Saturday, August 7)
ROYAL SCIMITAR was only just chinned despite racing alone on the stands’ side. He was unlucky at Newmarket on his previous outing – doing best of the stands’ side group when fourth of 17 in a hot 6f handicap – and remains open to improvement as a sprinter.
SOAR ABOVE (won, 6f handicap, Newmarket, Friday, August 6)
SOAR ABOVE’s seven previous wins all came on the all-weather at Kempton but this was his first 6f turf outing and he scored very easily. He’s gone up 6lb but recorded a career-best RPR (Racing Post Rating) and can follow up.
TENAYA CANYON (won, 5f handicap, Doncaster, Thursday, August 5)
Given how the other straight-track races played out it was probably a noteworthy effort from TENAYA CANYON to win from off the pace. This was a change of tactics for Ed Walker’s filly and it produced a career-best RPR. She won over 6f at Newcastle last year but 5f looks to be her trip, with form figures in handicaps over the minimum distance of 121 (2-3).
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