The Racing League rolls on to Windsor for week four of its annual season. After a sheep-infested week three at Chepstow, Matty Sutcliffe is hoping less baah and more bite with his pair of selections.
Published: 3.55pm Tuesday, 13th August (Odds correct at time of writing)
5:00 Windsor – tote Placepot Leg 1 Racing League R22 Handicap (Trainers Reg’ To Racing League) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Good Earth 11/1 1pt EW 4 places
Michael Herrington has done an incredible job in placing GOOD EARTH throughout his career to amass a total of £152,935 in prize money, despite only ever peaking at a mark of 92 and his highest accolade being a class three handicap.
The son of Acclamation is winless in nine starts since taking a 21K C3 handicap at Sandown last August, but that’s reflected by the drop in the weights and he’s now 11lbs lower than that last winning effort. There’s been a number of signs this term that he’s ready to strike, such as his two-length sixth in a 0-100 over C&D in June when denied a clear run late on. That effort was backed up by his RPR of 88, and the third, fourth and fifth have all come out and won since.
He was far from disgraced when dropped to 0-95 company, again beaten two lengths when perhaps unsuited by his track position in rear, and the horse 3/4L in front of him there subsequently took a strong C2 handicap at Goodwood (beating our selection Miss Attitude!). Better could’ve been expected at Beverley but a wide draw didn’t suit, and the form’s worked out with the winner finishing close up in a racing league contest last week, the third won next time out and was only beaten two lengths in a feature race at Hamilton last time out and the fourth (drawn in 11) won last time out.
His effort at York last time out was an eye-catching one and predominantly the main reason why I’m keen to play him here, as that was a wildly competitive race for the grade with plenty having been plotted for it. Good Earth travelled strongly without cover throughout, but was unsuited by his track position toward the stand side of centre, with the majority of the action all unfolding and finishing toward the far-side. He weakened over a furlong out and wasn’t given an overly hard time, ultimately suggesting a drop back to five furlongs would suit.
He’s dropped to his lowest mark in handicaps since taking a York handicap in July 2022 off a mark of 76, and given he’s ran well in all C&D starts then this looks the perfect opportunity for Good Earth to return to the winners enclosure with a handy middle draw.
7:00 Windsor – Tote Placepot Leg 5 Racing League R26 Handicap (Trainers Reg’ To Racing League) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-90) – Piz Nair 15/2 1pt EW 4 places
The well bred PIZ NAIR has more often than not shaped as if a step up to a mile would suit, and now he finally gets this trip, he can return to the winners enclosure. By Bated Breath, it’s no surprise he has the natural speed to have won twice over six furlongs but his Galileo dam won over a mile and is a half-sister to several classy winners between 1m-1m4f, so it’ll be no surprise should Piz Nair confirm that visual suspicion of staying a mile given his pedigree backs that up.
He was a course winner over six furlongs as a two year old after making a promising debut over the same C&D, but came up short in two subsequent efforts largely down to a lack of maturity. A subsequent gelding operation in November proved a treat as he retuned this season with a gutsy win against a two time subsequent winner. Albeit winless since, his next effort came in a 0-90 when beaten two lengths in a race that’s worked out well, with the fifth running some good races since including a four length fourth to James’s Delight in a big field competitive handicap at York before winning well at Musselburgh last time out (now rated 87), the third that day also fared well when second to James’s Delight in the 52k handicap at York, the second was only beaten a length behind a very progressive filly in the Ayr Gold Cup Trial and the winner has placed three times since including in a racing league contest behind our selection Thunder Blue last time out.
Piz Nair was unsuited by his track position in rear at Doncaster next time out (again ahead of Media Shooter) though the second has won since (rated 7lbs higher), and then he bumped into the progressive Arisaig at Lingfield who’s now rated 94 (11lbs higher) after taking a competitive fillies handicap at Glorious Goodwood.
A softer surface went against him at Thirsk in a Sunday series event won by our selection Telemark, but he shaped there as if a step up to a mile would suit and his latest effort at Goodwood all but confirmed that. Equipped with first time cheekpieces, he showed a gritty attitude to stay on strongly for third behind a runaway winner in a race that paid to be prominent.
I was taken by his attitude in those cheekpieces, and he’s slowly developing into a more matured model which is perhaps the reason why they’ve yet to run him over a mile. This looks the right time to catch him as he’s rarely far away from the finish and should the mile unearth further improvement then this well bred gelding can return to the winners enclosure at a track he’s well suited to.
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