Sunday, 3 April 2011

Today's Racing - 4th April


It’s been an up and down period but overall last week was very successful thanks to the International action & India’s Cricket World Cup win. Glor Na Mara’s defeat was a bitter pill to swallow but Lolly For Dolly recouped all the losses and more when winning yet another Group 3 so we did OK.

Moving swiftly onto the action at Folkestone tomorrow, Queen Of The Hop can take the 2.20. We saw the befit of backing juveniles who have already had a run over their counterparts yesterday when Gold Lace found enough to deny two useful types form bigger yards at the Curragh and in what doesn’t looking like an impossible race, she may have enough to beat off fellow newcomer The Dancing Lord and others. The altter anmed horses did seem to have more speed but slowish ground can blunt that and improvement should be coming. The newcomers that I would be fearing are Sea Poet, who’s very quickly bred, and First Rebellion, who gets the services of Kieren Fallon. Both are worth checking in the market but I’ll stick to my guns and Queen Of The Hop.

The next, a maiden Auction Stakes (2.50) is a really a shocker but there might be a small angle back backing His Grace. He flopped on debut before going close in two 6f maidens at Yarmouth, form which gives him a solid shot here. He was leading at the furlong pole on both those starts (having pulled hard on the second of those two runs) and may have the best speed claims in this small field. Forget his last two runs as they were on heavy ground and the AW. Bahri Sheen went close on his debut and ran well in a big maiden at York but has done little else and his stable’s been queit. Alpha Delta Whisky would be the one I fear most seeing as he’s race fit, while Chokueri was very disappointing on her second start at two.

We’re dropping even lower for the Seller Claydon Horse Exercisers Selling Stakes (3.50) but there might be a bet in the shape of Jackie Love, was a bit disappointing when fourth over 7f at Lingfield given that she shaped with so much promise on her debut over that same trip earlier that month but the drop down in grade will be a big help to her and she can get off the mark.

Off to Windsor and in the Maiden Stakes (2.40) I’ll keep it simple and take Lord Of The Shadows to made a winning debut. His yard sweeps all before them with juveniles in general and also here, and won this with Bonnie Charlie in 2008 and Zebedee last year. The booking of Ryan Moore goes a long way to sealing the deal. Sea Odyssey looks like a useful type on paper (yard has decent record here; Won this with Red Clubs in 2009) but he’s passed over, along with Ciara Boo and Silverheels.

There’s also a nice race in the shape of the 4.10, which takes some solving. Discoteca is likely to be favourite but a deeper look at his form shows that his conqueror Census (whom he came second behind in September at Salisbury) beat Elfine by only three lengths in a 1m Bath maiden, and she’s taken of the pair. The Moore/Hannon combination’s Silverware has to be respected, but his form is generally quite poor and he’s bypassed. Given all these doubts, John Gosden's debutant Informed Award is worth monitoring closely in the market, but they are all passed over and a chance is given to Atlas Shrugged, who shaped nicely behind the impressive Carlton House when eighth at Newbury in October. The form of that race is working out quite well and given those run, maybe he can take a decent hand with that behind him here.

Advice

2 pts Queen Of The Hop, 2.20 Folkestone

1 pt His Grace, 2.50 Folkestone

1.5 pts Jackie Love, 3.50 Folkestone

1 pt win Lord Of The Shadow, 2.40 Windsor

1 pt each/way Atlas Shrugged, 4.10 Windsor 

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