These Mondays swing around quickly each week, especially when you’ve got another Windsor race meeting to savour. It’s also the start of Guineas week and equine anticipation is building ahead of the weekend’s Newmarket action, where the cream of the juvenile crop go gunning for Classics glory.
First things first though, it’s another manic (and marvellous) Monday at Windsor races. The Berkshire track received another deluge of the soggy stuff over the weekend and the official going is currently on the soft side of good. However, with no significant rain during the second half of Sunday and a dry Monday forecasted, the ground shouldn’t be overly juicy.
Windsor racegoers this Monday have another exciting 8-race evening card to get stuck into. Kicking off at 16:34 with a 6-furlong contest for three-year-olds. All races are being covered live again by the Sky Sports Racing team and by Mr Slick himself, Matt Chapman.
Windsor Races – Monday April 22nd Review
It was supposedly the first evening meeting of the Windsor racing season last Monday, but it was still a very wintry welcome that awaited racegoers, with persistent drizzly showers and a chilling wind blowing. Being wrapped-up was essential and it was apt when Luke Dace’s Snuggle clinched victory in the opening race. It was the 4-year-old’s third appearance at Windsor and his second victory, having claimed another win over 6 furlongs in a novice event last May. Another former Windsor winner, On Edge, also went close to snatching another victory at the track in the second race on the card. Christopher Mason’s grey just failed to get up, losing by a neck to Jonathan Portman’s Strike in the second division of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Handicap.
The fillies took centre stage in the third race on the card. All runners were unraced two-year-olds aside from Kaadi and Karl Burke’s 13/8 favourite used that racecourse experience to her advantage. She finished strongly to see off Tom Ward’s Woodhay Whisper, to notch her maiden victory. Favourite backers were jumping for joy again shortly after, when the heavily fancied Deira Mile, who was 4th in a Group 1 at Doncaster last year, stormed to a 4-length success. The most impressive performance of the evening. She was Owen Burrows’ only runner of the evening and Jim Crowley’s only ride.
Oisin Murphy Breaks His Windsor Duck
Jonathan Portman was denied an evening double in the 5th race on the card when his Way Of Life was beaten by a neck by Insanity over the maximum Windsor trip of 1 mile 3.5 furlongs. Alan King’s 4-year-old had finished runner-up in a 1-mile 2-furlong event at Windsor last June, but this step-up in distance worked wonders. 3-time British champion flat jockey, Oisin Murphy, recorded his first Windsor winner of 2024, aboard Charlie Johnston’s Arch Legend, in the 6th race. For once the Killarney saddle star wasn’t the punters’ pal, finishing in front of the second odds-on shot of the day, Cock And Bull.
However, Oisin would have to settle for the runner-up spot with Auric, in the penultimate race. The trainer-jockey combo of Karl Burke and Clifford Lee celebrating further success with South Shore in the 6-furlong 3-year-old handicap. The favourite was beaten into second for a third race on the trot in the final contest of the evening. Tom Ward’s Theworldsnotenough denying Richard Hannon’s Hatadora by a short-head.
Windsor Races – What’s Still To Come In 2024
Some of the remaining highlights this year are as follows:
June
3rd – 80s Retro Explosion
10th – Irish Night
17th – Summer Garden Party
29th – Ladies Day
December
15th – The Return of NH Racing
Windsor Races – Monday April 29th Preview
I left last Monday’s review above on Richard Hannon’s Hatadora and I begin this Monday’s preview with Hatadora. She narrowly failed to justify favouritism in the final race on the card last week. Hannon’s horses have been running well on the whole at Windsor the past couple of weeks and it might be worth giving the 3-year-old filly another shot in this week’s 19:39. It was her first run on turf last week and she should come on for it. Richard Hannon’s other runner at Windsor this week is Sighter in the opener (16:34). Like Hatadora last week, this is the filly’s first run on turf following five runs on the All-Weather. She should be in the mix and could be worthy of each-way claims, though is likely to need the run.
Tom Ward has been the hottest trainer at Windsor so far this term. Three of the Upper Lambourn handler’s four runners have finished first or second and the fourth finished a creditable 5th at odds of 100/1. He only sends one out this week, Sneaky Blinder in the 19:39. Tom Marquand takes the mount and he and Hatadora could fight out a ding-dong of a battle. Other trainers who have been catching the eye during the first couple of weeks at Windsor include Jonathan Portman and the Mike Murphy & Michael Keady combo.
Will Mrembo Be Memorable?
An interesting one of Jonathan Portman’s this week is Mrembo in the 19:09. The 5-year-old ran three times at Windsor last year, finishing 1st, 3rd and 4th in 10-runner plus fields. Olivia Tubb rode Mrembo to victory at Windsor last year and takes the ride again. She had an impressive first full season as an apprentice in 2023 and always gave a good account of herself when riding for Portman.
Both of Mike Murphy & Michael Keady’s runners at Windsor this term has finished in the frame and one of theirs this week could be worthy of a look. Antiphon ran SIX times at Windsor for the Bedford duo in 2023. Impressively, the 5-year-old, finished 1st once, 2nd three times, and 3rd once. Three of those placed runs (including the win) were on good-soft or soft going. Tom Marquand takes the ride, which is always a plus.
Jockey Spots At Windsor
Oisin Murphy is back in saddle action again at Windsor this week. He first appeared at the Berkshire track last week, mounting up in six races. Only one of those six finished worse than fourth. He has another five rides this week, three of them for Rod Millman. Oisin rode seven times for the Devon handler at Windsor in 2023, winning on three occasions. One of those times was aboard Fast Steps, whom he takes the reins on again at 18:39. Fast Steps impressed during Windsor’s opening meeting of the year, a fortnight ago, and should go well once more.
Another course and distance winner in the same 18:39 race is Silver Gunn. The Marco Botti trainee is one of Neil Callan’s five rides at Windsor this week. The experienced Irish jockey had some good times with Botti at Windsor last year, including twice with Silver Gunn (finishing 1st and 3rd in two 10-furlong events).
On-Fire Sires At Windsor
Five of Havana Gold’s progeny have raced at Windsor over the past few weeks. All bar one (a 50/1 shot) have finished 1st or 2nd. Havana Gold, runner-up in the Craven at Newmarket and winner of the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly during the 2013 season is the sire of two runners at Windsor this week, Bint Havana Gold (16:34) and Dream Selection (19:09). Two of Nathaniel’s (the 2011 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner and 2012 Coral-Eclipse victor) progeny have raced at Windsor so far this season and both were victorious. Just one of his goes at Windsor this week, Pique in the 19:09.
Both of Oasis Dream’s runners finished second during Windsor’s opening meeting two weeks ago. The 2003 Darley July Cup & Nunthorpe Stakes winner is the sire of just one runner at Windsor this week, Dark Dreamer (16:34). Tom Marquand takes the ride on the fancied Robert Cowell runner. Another two sires, whose runners have been running well at Windsor during the past couple of weeks are Twilight Son and Too Darn Hot. Both have sole runners at Windsor this week. Twilight Son’s Meet Me In Meraki runs in the 19:39 and Too Darn Hot’s Lyric goes in the 17:39.
Good Luck All!!! Let us know your Windsor selections by clicking on ‘Comments’ under the main article title at the top of the piece.
Windsor Races Preview – The Evening Racing Curtain-Raiser
Royal Windsor Racecourse – Why We Love Mondays
The Grand National – The Key Stats & Trends
The Grand National – The Countdown Is On
History of the North London Derby
Emery Dedicated to the Villa Project
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
