The latest edition of the Sunday Series takes place at Thirsk and the action is live on ITV Racing. Our value tipster Matty Sutcliffe is here with his best bets of the day, as he looks to head into Royal Ascot with a few winners.
Published: 8.16am, Saturday 15th June (Prices correct at time of publishing)
4:15 Thirsk Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap (Class 3) (3yo 0-95) – Topanga 1pt EW
The first time cheek-pieces will provide a boost for TOPANGA, who travelled with little fluency when finishing last at Leicester, but she was only beaten four lengths and shaped very much as if requiring a step back up in distance. She shaped well when last over this distance in the G3 Fred Darling, weakening once denied a run two out. That race has since thrown up the Listed Carnarvon Stakes second, the 1000 Guineas winner and the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes second, so a mark of 83 looks workable on that evidence and if the cheek-pieces allow her to travel more comfortably, then this well bred daughter of Siyouni can get back to winning ways for a yard who rarely send a handicapper to Thirsk.
5:45 Sky Bet Request A Bet Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) – Jer Batt 1pt WIN
JER BATT was well backed when taking a Sunday Series race at Musselburgh last April after making a solid start for his new yard after switching from David Kelly in Ireland, and was unlucky to not add to that when beaten a head at Chester drawn widest of all. He was sent off 5/1 favourite for the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot next time out, but failed to back the form up under Colin Keane.
We didn’t see him until reappearing at Doncaster earlier this month, beaten a length into fourth behind three race fit rivals. That run should have blown away some cobwebs, and despite running to an RPR of 95, the handicapper dropped him a pound. The yard are going well and are profitable to follow in course handicaps, and he’s likely been targeted toward another Sunday Series success.
6:15 Thirsk Sky Bet Club Handicap (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-85) – Dark Jedi 1pt EW
DARK JEDI was a bet for the column in the Sunday Series at Musselburgh in April, but was barely put into the contest once breaking slowly in rear. He shaped as if wanting a return to further, and duly obliged a couple weeks later when upped in distance over course and distance, winning comfortably off a 4lbs lower mark. He was far from disgraced when upped to 0-95 company at Hamilton last time out, beaten four lengths in a competitive field and he has a 4lbs weight swing with the winner. He remains attractively well handicapped on last seasons form given he was rated 20lbs higher, and looks to have been found the right opportunity to regain the winning thread.
6:45 Thirsk Sky Bet Acca Freeze Handicap (Class 5) (3yo 0-68) – Alfa Moonstone 1pt WIN
The Lidster yard are in fine fettle of late with five wins and seven places from their last twenty five runners, including a competitive C2 fillies handicap at York on Friday. ALFA MOONSTONE was behind Secret Command at Catterick last time out, but she went hard enough out in front and likely set it up for the two ahead of her, and the other two with raced in front with finished 7th and 10th, so we can upgrade her effort despite being a beaten favourite and I’d be confident that a 4lbs swing in the weights with Secret Command is enough to suggest she’s priced incorrectly.
She was an eyecatcher on seasonal debut behind a couple of these when staying on after initially being denied a run, confirming the original promise of her two year old season which included an excellent 7th in the valuable auction stakes at Newmarket last October despite a tough task at the weights. Her full sister Girl Magic progressed as a three year old and her dam was a smart sort too, so there’s reason to believe she will eventually be better than a mark of 64 and can make a bold bid from the front with a handy stand side draw for her in-form yard.
Added: 10.55am, Saturday, 15th June (Prices correct at time of publishing)
4:15 Thirsk – Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap (Class 3) (3yo 0-95) – Telemark 9/1 1pt WIN
Topanga was declared a non-runner on Saturday morning, so I’ve revisited the race with fresh eyes and come back to one of my original fancies in TELEMARK. You may remember he was a bet for the column in the G3 Horris Hill last season before the meeting was abandoned, and while we left him out for the rearranged race, he was sent off the 2/1 favourite suggesting plenty was thought of him.
I’ve touched upon a few times this season that it’s unwise to treat two year old form as gospel after they’ve all wintered, but it’s at least worth a loose mention that the Horris Hill worked out well to a degree, with the winner finishing second in the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes after a string of places in listed/stakes company, the 2nd was four lengths behind the 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech in a race that’s working out well on seasonal reappearance, the 3rd ran to a similar RPR in a Goodwood handicap, the 6th is now rated 109 after winning at Newmarket first time up before beaten a length in the German 2000 Guineas, and the 7th has also progressed to a mark of 98 this season.
Again, we can’t directly say Telemark is well in based on those bits of form, but at least we know he was mixing in the right company as a two year old and he’s bred to improve this season too. Progeny of Night Of Thunder often improve as a three year old so I’ve no worries about the training on aspect, and his dam made her debut at three and was a consistent at a mid 90s mark throughout her racing career, predominantly on better ground so this sounder surface may help Telemark despite his sire’s soft ground preference.
He made a slightly disappointing reappearance at Newbury in April when finishing last of six on his first start after being gelded, but he was giving 7lbs to the field and looked quite round in himself, shaping and visually looking as if desperately needing that run. He came on for his debut last season when winning comfortably at Yarmouth second time up, and while he’s got top weight to carry again, he should be primed for this run now. The yard form is what largely put me off backing him yesterday, but they’re knocking on the door with several places and the addition of a tongue-tie will hopefully eek out further improvement with Jack Mitchell back in the saddle.
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