The fourth week of the Racing League sees the competition heat up in earnest. Matty Sutcliffe has browsed the evening card from Windsor on Thursday and has three value bets for you to follow.
5:00 Windsor – Racing League Race 22 Handicap (For horses In The Care Of Trainers Registered To Racing League) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Woohoo 6/1 1pt WIN
Acclamation filly WOOHOO has form figures of 55111214 since joining the Jim Goldie yard and while she was held off this mark in a racing league contest at Chepstow last week, that was arguably a career best effort in a competitive 0-85 in a race where that panned out unfavourably for her.
It paid to race on the far-side there with the winner flying late up to the rail to chin our selection Vince L’Amour, whereas Woohoo was unfavourably drawn in stall thirteen and the race subsequently developed well away from her. She was still able to fly down the middle/outside clocking the quickest third and fourth furlong with the highest average stride frequency, which would suggest a sharper track like Windsor would suit her better than Chepstow.
She’s better drawn in stall six this time around and once again carries no weight. While she once again comes up against horses of a different calibre than what she’s used to racing against, she’s travelled through her races in the manner of one still very well handicapped and the entry in the Ayr Gold Cup would suggest connections believe there’s plenty more to come with her.
5:30 Windsor – Racing League Race 23 Handicap (Horses In Care Of Trainers Registered To Racing League) (GBBPlus) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-80) – Hinchinbrooke 9/1 1pt WIN
Jane Chapple-Hyam and Team Yorkshire combined to land a handicap at Chepstow with Flag Of St George last week and the unexposed HINCHINBROOKE can continue the Yorkshire resurgence.
The Cracksman colt ran as if something was amiss when 5/1 for his handicap debut at Southwell, beaten twenty six lengths into last. We’ll have to trust that was a blot and not a reflection of his true ability, perhaps he didn’t handle the surface, and instead we can judge him on the form from his three qualifying runs.
He made his debut in the Wood Ditton at Newmarket in April when beaten five lengths having taken a keen hold throughout, with the winner subsequently second in the Dee Stakes at Chester now rated 107. He was then beaten half a length into third at Newbury by one now rated 90 after two subsequent victories, and the form of his Sandown third last time out has worked out well with the second winning next time out now rated 85, and the winner had already shown some strong form which he’s backed up in two runs since.
If he can put his latest effort behind him, then he looks well treated on a mark of 79 for this turf handicap debut with his 3yo weight allowances an added bonus.
6:30 Windsor – Racing League Race 25 Handicap (For horses In The Care Of Trainers Registered To Racing League) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-95) – Zoulu Chief 16/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
As one of two C&D winners in this field, ZOULU CHIEF is taken to bounce back to form after a small break and a gelding operation. The son of Zoustar was a shock 150/1 winner of a Newbury Maiden in 2023, but proved that was no fluke when landing a Nursery over C&D in the Racing League, before taking a 52k Nursery at York’s Ebor meeting.
While he is winless since, he spent last winter in Meydan in some valuable races and returned this season well in the grip of the handicapper off a mark of 89. That said, he ran his best race since his two year old days at Ascot in April when beaten a length into third off top weight, with the first and second franking the form when reversing it with each other next time out.
Zoulu Chief then shaped better than the finishing position suggested at York in the Lindum Handicap at the Dante meeting, beaten four lengths into eighth behind subsequent Royal Ascot winner American Affair and the King George Qatar Stakes winner JM Jungle. He was unfavourably drawn the widest of all on the near-side with the race typically favouring those to the far-side, though stayed on well enough in what’s turned out to be strong form, to suggest there’s still winning potential in him.
His fourth of five over five furlongs here was a fair effort, shaping as if needing that first run after a wind operation as many do for all he took a backwards step over C&D here in June. The first time blinkers appeared to light him up from the front there and they’re quickly discarded, but this is a slightly easier class of opponent and now he’s 8lbs lower than his seasonal debut, a reproduction of either his Ascot or York form would see him show up competitively here.
