GG tipster Andrew Mount reveals his list of eyecatchers from the past week’s action!
There’s some superb racing coming up this week – why not take advantage of Bet365’s fantastic new customer offer? Sign up here, place a £10 bet and receive £30 in free bets!
DULCET SPIRIT, non-runner, 6f handicap, Kempton, Wednesday, April 19th
DULCET SPIRIT was a big eyecatcher over 7f at Lingfield just before Christmas, finishing a 40-1 fourth on her debut for Brett Johnson despite racing in the ‘swamp’ on the inside rail. She won well over the same course and distance next time and I would have been tempted to support her in the 6f handicap at Kempton last Wednesday had she not been drawn in stall 10. Connections pulled her out with a self-certificate and have done so again ahead of Tuesday’s intended 7f Lingfield run where she was drawn 14 of 14. She’ll be of interest when next allowed to take her chance, be it over 6f or 7f.
FERROUS, sixth, 6f handicap, Newmarket, Thursday, April 20th
FERROUS did too much too soon in the 6f Class 2 bet365 handicap, racing keenly in second place before serving it up to the front-running King’s Crown over one furlong out. Jack Channon’s well-backed 9-2 shot weakened into sixth of 14 but this was a solid run in a race set up for the closers (the winner, runner-up and third all came from well off the pace). He won his maiden on heavy ground, but the son of Dark Angel is unlikely to have an issue with good or faster going and looks set to win a handicap or two this term.
GREY’S MONUMENT, eighth, 7f Group 3, Newbury, Saturday, April 22nd
It was a big advantage to race centre to far side at Newbury last Saturday and those drawn high in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes faced a very difficult task. GREY’S MONUMENT (stall 9 of 9) tried to lie up with the early pace in the ‘swamp’ but couldn’t sustain his effort and the 33-1 shot weakened to finish almost 19 lengths back in eighth place. This was a respectable effort given his draw and he can be supported next time.
LEADING COMPANY, fourth, 1m2f handicap, Redcar, Monday, April 17th
John Quinn’s LEADING COMPANY got no cover out wide in the 1m2f racingtv.com Handicap and raced keenly as a result. The 9-1 shot had to settle for a modest fourth of eight, but this was a useful effort in the circumstances, and he’ll surely be adding to last summer’s tally of three wins when able to get cover off a strong gallop.
MADAME FENELLA, second, 6f fillies’ handicap, Wolverhampton, Saturday, April 15th
MADAME FENELLA did well to dead-heat for second place in the 6f At The Races App Expert Tips Fillies’ Handicap as the race was not run to suit her patient style. The winner and other runner-up shared the lead throughout, and it was a fine run in the circumstances. She’s entered at Haydock and Doncaster this Saturday (April 29th).
RUNSWICK BAY, second, 2m3f handicap hurdle, Fontwell, Friday, April 21st
RUNSWICK BAY did really well to win a novices’ handicap chase at right-handed Ludlow back in October 2021 as he jumped markedly out to his left throughout that 2m4f contest. He was off for a year after that win and didn’t show much in two runs over fences late last year, though both came on right-handed tracks. Returned to timber in the Southern Cranes & Access Handicap Hurdle at left-handed Fontwell last Friday after a 116-day break, Emma Lavell’s 14-1 shot finished a one-length second to all-the-way-winner Mullinaree. He’s had very few opportunities this way round and can go one better in the near future.
SUCCESSION, fourth, 5f maiden stakes, Newbury, Friday, April 21st
Clive Cox-trained newcomers usually come on considerably for the run and he has a very low strike-rate with them at Newbury, one of his local tracks. This century, his record stands at just three winners from 114 runners (2.6% strike-rate) for a loss of £91.00 to a £1 level stake at SP. I laid 15-2 shot SUCCESSION, win and place, in the 5f Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup EBF Maiden Stakes and had to endure a squeaky-bum moment as the two-year-old son of Showcasing made the running before fading into fourth of the eight runners. This was encouraging and he can be supported next time.
TAYGAR, won, 5f restricted novice stakes, Beverley, Wednesday, April 19th
It was hard not to be impressed by Taygar’s 18-5 debtu success in the 5f Welcome To Our New Season EBF Restricted Novice Stakes at Beverley last week, as the Michael Dods-trained filly came from a long way back. Well supported from 5-1, she had a length and a half to spare over Scoops Ahoy at the line and it could have been plenty more had she not run green and been bumped around in the early stages. She’s entered in Newbury’s Super Sprint and the Listed Two Year Old Trophy at Redcar.
WILLARD CREEK, ninth, 1m handicap, Pontefract, Monday, April 24th
David Barron’s WILLARD CREEK, reappearing after a 240-day absence, was sent off at 33-1 for the 1m Racing TV On Sky Channel 424 Handicap at Pontefract on Monday, doing well to finish in mid-division as his high draw and patient running style were at a disadvantage. He won over this trip on good ground at Nottingham last summer and should fine another race.
WOE BETIDE, non-runner, 6f handicap, Kempton, Wednesday, April 19th
Simon Dow’s WOE BETIDE was another wide-drawn (stall 9) non-runner in the same 6f handicap as Dulcet Spirit (see above) and the son of Siyouni can be supported when next allowed to take his chance. Hopefully, that will be on Polytrack as his sire gets plenty of winners on this surface, especially with horses aged four and older.