Matthew Sutcliffe looks back on the previous weekend for smart performances, as well as picking the best value plays ahead of Saturday’s action.
He was keen on Equiano Spring’s chances on last weeks column and the 2pt win selection duly obliged at Newmarket, winning at 5/1 (advised at 9/1).
This week he’s keen on two in the SkyBet Dash Handicap at York, plus he has another strong 2pt win tip!
Published: 10.22am 26th July (Odds correct at time of publication)
Pointers
Friday 13:50 Newbury: Bourgeoisie (2nd/12) – Siyouni x So Hi Society (Society Rock) – Trainer: Richard Hannon
Richard Hannon had taken this contest twice on the last three occasions, including with subsequent G2 Flying Childers’ winner Trilium, and nearly took his tally to three wins with Bourgeoisie. The daughter of Siyouni came from well off the pace in a race which favoured those who raced prominently, travelling nicely before picking up well down the outside, just failing to collar Georgina Nicholls’ Betties Bay. Hannon’s filly built upon her debut 5th at Newmarket the previous weekend, and her pedigree matches the suspicion that she may be one to keep an eye on when going up to seven furlongs, perhaps for Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes in August. Hannon has won that contest twice in recent years, and attempted to win it in 2020 with Fly Miss Helen (sent off favourite, though sadly lost action) who previously won the race Bourgeoisie was 2nd in last weekend.
Friday 14:15 Nottingham: Vandeek (1st/11) – Havana Grey x Mosa Mine (Exceed and Excel) – Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford.
The talent produced from the progeny of Havana Grey is showing no signs of deteriorating and the electric multiple Group winner may have another smart colt on his hands. Although Vandeek was sent off the evens favourite against a field of questionable depth, it was hard to be anything but seriously impressed with him. The expensive son of Havana Grey was asleep in the stalls and broke poorly, giving valuable lengths away at the start. Granted there was no quick pace early on, so Andrea Atzeni was able to attach the colt at the back of the field soon enough and try to settle him despite being a typically keen two year old. As the race went on you could sense he was learning on the job, a promising sign in a racehorse, and he began to move swiftly through the field before winning going away with ease. Interestingly, he’s a half-brother to three winners who’ve only done their winning over five furlongs, despite their sires injecting a touch more stamina than you would imagine Havana Grey would. Vandeek certainly wasn’t stopping at the line and if the Crisford’s are able to iron out any quirks, he could be a very nice type indeed.
Saturday 15:40 Newmarket: Bopedro (3rd/12) – Pedro The Great x Breizh Touch (Country Reel) – Trainer: David O’Meara.
The phrase ‘eye-catching’ is synonymous with David O’Meara. The amount of ‘cliff horses’ that punters have associated with the yard is endless. Bopedro is a facsimile of the aforementioned and exemplified that at Newmarket last weekend with his staying on 3rd to a previous pointer of this column in Dutch Decoy. He was held up in rear by Hollie Doyle as often the protocol is with him, and raced behind the bridle at times, but he was caught in a pocket when originally going for a run on the inside of Liberty Lane, leading to Doyle having to regather his stride and concede first run to that one, who he subsequently easily swept by. He was out of the camera shot, with the action unfolding on the far-side rail, before faring best of those racing near-side/middle in the latter stages. Once on an even keel and with daylight ahead, he stormed down the track to be beaten by just over a length, with the front pair both mounting their challenges from some way before. He appreciated the return to a mile there and is lingering on a dangerous mark once more, but when the trigger is to be pulled remains somewhat of a mystery as ever with his stable – though his entry in the Betfred Handicap (1M) at Ascot this Saturday is enticing enough.
Saturday 15:56 Ripon: Casilli (3rd/8) – Casique x Lily Marlane (Sri Pekan) – Trainer: Michael & David Easterby.
The rain-softened turf at Ripon last weekend will have done no favours for Casilli, however she caught my eye travelling strongly suggesting she’s ready to strike once back on her favoured quicker conditions. She wasn’t given the clearest of passages on the rail three furlongs out and by that time the winner had already gathered up momentum, but she finished off strongly enough under 7lbs claimer Lewis Chalkley and is likely to be dropped another pound or so in the ratings. She last won off a mark of 78 carrying top-weight at Beverley last July, but two of her previous wins came there in August in 2021 and given we’re only around the corner from that month, she may well be ready to return to the scene of those victories off a similar mark.
Saturday 20:45 Doncaster: Golden Move (1st/10) – Golden Horn x Ceaseless (Iffraaj) – Trainer: Richard Fahey.
Golden Move pulled eight lengths clear with the Richard Hannon trained favourite Graham, who had it all his own way up front throughout the race. Jack Garrity did an excellent job of getting the Golden Horn colt settled, as he was pulling for some way to the point you’d have naturally expected him to weaken in the latter stages of the race, especially trying out a new trip. The manner in which he eventually settled and was travelling into contention, before responding well to Garrity’s urging’s was impressive and he is one to keep onside over middle distance trips, particular if the ground is softer once more.
Weekend Punts
SATURDAY
13:50 Ascot Bateaux London Princess Margaret Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (2yo)
SYMBOLOGY (4/1 generally – 2pt WIN)
I was there the day Symbology won on her debut at York and she could hardly have been any more impressive once getting the hang of things. The daughter of Havana Grey evidently learnt on the job, as it wasn’t plain sailing to begin with. She didn’t break too cleanly, jumped two paths up the straight, carried her head high/right, but what I loved about her performance was despite those quirks, she was travelling like a dream and when Rossa Ryan asked her a question, she immediately switched on and straightened up, before quickening away nicely to beat the well backed favourite Nighteyes. Now we’ve no form to subsequently go off, but to gauge just how good she could be, Nighteyes was previously a neck 2nd to Jehangeer at Ayr in June, that one was 2nd to Army Ethos in May, who since finished 2nd to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes at Ascot. Obviously it’s hard to take those collateral formlines on for face-value given these 2yos improve at different rates, but at least we have an inkling of the amount of progress she is open to. Symbology was notably strong at the finish the last day, clocking a quicker last furlong than all bar one of the fillies & mares in the G3 Summer Stakes that preceded her race, only falling short by 0.04 of a second to the 103r Royal Aclaim. Not only that, but she clocked a faster finishing last three furlongs than the 90r Radio Goo Goo – and she was merely pushed out in the last couple of furlongs. Clive Cox has only had two runners in this race in the last decade, Crazyland who was beaten 3L at 25s in 2021, then Isabella Giles who was just beaten a length in 2020. Symbology is a full-sister to Cox’s Katey Kontent who won her first two starts as a 2yo, and she’s a half-sister to Karl Burke’s smart 111r colt El Caballo. Hopefully Symbology confirms the suspicion that she’s adopted her family’s talents, and takes her career record to 2-2 on Saturday.
14:20 York – Sky Bet Dash Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105)
GALE FORCE MAYA (8/1 generally – 1pt WIN) + ALEEZDANCER (18/1 generally – 0.5pt E/W 4 places)
Firstly, my only niggling concern with Gale Force Maya is that she might not want the ground to be too soft here. The going at York is currently soft, however if the warm weather continues and further rain stays away, we’ll likely have good enough ground by Saturday. She’s raced just once on ‘soft’ (has coped with G/S before) which saw beaten 23L at Musselburgh in 2020, however she was subsequently beaten 13L on her next and last start there, so it could’ve also been down to the fact she may not enjoy the course. For all I would be more confident if she was on quicker ground, I simply cannot let her go unbacked. She won this race off a mark of 104 last season and she returns 2lbs lower. She bounced right back to form in the Group Three Summer Stakes here the other week, beaten a length into 3rd by the G1 Commonwealth Cup 3rd Swingalong and the progressive Royal Aclaim in 2nd. That piece of form reflects her true colours, as when on song she is a listed level mare at the very least. She drops back into handicap company, where she unbeaten in her last five, with her overall record in 6F handicap’s reading a remarkable 13111222343333911111. Her course and distance record reads 3131113, and she carried top weight to victory in both of her handicaps successes here, so if National Anthem is not to run, I’ve no worries about her giving weight away all round. Her record in July reads 13313, never beaten under two lengths. If the opening of the heavens are placed on hold until she runs, my confidence in her winning will be certainly increased.
Alas I can’t have it both ways, but if the ground were to remain soft then Aleezdancer becomes a big player, and looks overpriced currently regardless. The son of Fast Company has adopted the soft ground preference synonymous with his sires progeny, with his record on the going (g/s-heavy) reading 11153116. I’m willing to forgive his poor performance at Pontefract last time out as a combination of a slow start, first time blinkers and an inexperienced claimer (0-15) likely played their individual parts. Prior to that he was beaten 7L (9/9) in a competitive handicap on the all-weather at Newcastle, a track where he was previously beaten a 4L 6/9 so it may be that he’s not suited to that surface. With the possibility of being able to draw a line through those, then based on his three other runs this seasons he’s worth chancing here. He began the year when a well backed winner at Doncaster, coming home 2 1/2L to the good under Neil Callan on soft ground, a race that’s thrown up several winners including 3x subsequent winner Dream Composer who was back in 6th. Aleezdancer wasn’t disgraced in 6th at Ascot next time out, shifting plenty of weight to those in front of him and the 1st/2nd going in easily again subsequently. Kevin Ryan then brought him to York where the quicker ground (was certainly faster than the RP recorded ‘gd’ that day) may not have suited, and his weakness in the market might’ve foreshadowed his finishing position. That said, he was by no means disgraced beaten three lengths by Bielsa, and wasn’t given a single tap of the stick under a hands and heels Rowan Scott. The form of that race has worked out nicely too, he was half a length behind Badri who has won the JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap at Epsom before finishing 2nd off a mark off 100 in a competitive Class 2 Handicap a Ascot two weekends ago. Kevin Ryan has been profitable to follow in handicaps at York this season, and with his mount now only a pound higher than his runaway at Doncaster on soft ground in April, I’d expect Aleezdancer to put his last two runs behind him and bounce back to form.
Matt Sutcliffe’s Weekend Bets
SATURDAY
1.50 Ascot – SYMBOLOGY (4/1 generally – 2pt WIN)
2.20 York – GALE FORCE MAYA (8/1 generally – 1pt WIN) + ALEEZDANCER (18/1 generally – 0.5pt E/W 4 places)
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