Sky Sports Racing’s Elliot David has five horses worth watching on Monday’s cards at Wolverhampton and Windsor.
PHONE TAG – 1.50 Windsor
I’ve mentioned previously in this column that it’s always worth having a good look at the horses towards the top of the weights in these tight Nursery Handicaps. As of Sunday, 98 of the 177 (55%) qualifying races ran in Britain and Ireland had been won by a horse in the top three of the weights.
Hugo Palmer’s son of Havana Grey returned from a gelding op with a promising 4th in a higher grade at Goodwood, coming from an unpromising position in the rear having not travelled early in the race. You could upgrade that performance and hence he went off just 4-1 for a race at Thirsk on September 9; however, having become restless in the stalls, he raced too keenly over the 1m and likely blew his chance at the start.
Provided he behaves in the prelims and consents to settling better, he’s surely capable of getting involved off this mark of 73 judged on his Goodwood effort and I think he can bounce back under three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
It’ll be worth mentioning Jonathan Portman’s Zinchenko here who ought to be suited by a switch back to turf and step up to 1m. Portman won a Nursery on this card last year with Enochdhu and could have found a nice opportunity for his charge on handicap debut, having been outpaced over 6-7f thus far.
SEA EAGLE – 3.20 Windsor
It would be fair to say things haven’t gone to plan for William Haggas’ charge since his return from a winter gelding op. Making a belated return on August 3 at Goodwood, he was unable to get involved when given plenty to do on soft ground before racing too keenly at Newbury on August 29.
Haggas now tries blinkers, an aid which he’s been using to great effect in the last 5 years boasting a strike rate of 25% (13-51) with horses sporting the aid for the first time. Should they have the desired effect and a return to his two-year-old form be forthcoming, his reduced mark of 82 would look workable.
Three-year-old runners have won 7 of the last 8 renewals of this race and I can see the classic generation yet again battling it out this time around, headed by Dream Of Mischief who saw off the re-opposing My Ambition over this course and distance in July. The Haggas runner represents a nice each-way alternative.
PRIDE OF HAWRIDGE – 4.20 Windsor
The hurdling experiment has been shelved for the time being for Stuart Edmunds’ five-year-old, who returns to the level for the first time since October 2022 when trained by Rod Millman.
If able to return to form now he is back in this discipline, his current mark of 63 is indeed his last winning mark which came on his penultimate start for Millman at Ffos Las last September. With that in mind, odds of 20-1 (at the time of writing) could look tempting for a horse who should be suited to conditions here.
The regular cheekpieces worn for both wins are retained and though the hurdle form hasn’t been up to winning races, there have been flashes of form to suggest ability is still retained.
SHOWY – 4.52 Windsor
Jonathan Portman looks to have a gilt-edged chance of victory with his three-year-old daughter of Golden Horn, whose recent Bath form has been franked by both the winner and 3rd since. That was just a second handicap start and with the first having come on unsuitably soft ground at Sandown, it was likely the first time we saw something close to her true ability.
It seems highly likely therefore that this filly has more to give and given that despite the strength of the Bath form her mark has been dropped 1lb, she rates the one to beat here in my view.
CHASE THE DOLLAR – 7.00 Wolverhampton
Our evening fixture at Dunstall Park is headlined by this mile-and-a-half handicap where I think David Loughnane’s five-year-old makes sound each-way appeal returned to the synthetic surface.
You’ve got to look at his form in two different lights, with an indifferent 1-15 record on turf compares to two wins and five 2nds from eight all-weather starts. That’s been the story this year, with some atrocious form on turf sandwiched by his narrow Racing League 2nd at Newcastle, beaten only by the progressive Glenister.
With that coming having raced prominently on a stiffer track over ½ furlong further, the return to a turning track and marginal drop in trip may well be to suit David Loughnane’s runner. I’d say his price is judged partially on his turf form and anything in double figures looks too big.
