The Sky Sports Racing cameras head to Worcester, Wolverhampton and Ripon for what promises to be an entertaining day of action…
Dashinwhitesargent
4.45 Wolverhampton
A replication of his April 23 run at Epsom, when second in Class 4 company to the useful Portsmouth, would surely be enough to get this son of Highland Reel over the line to break his maiden. He’ll be in receipt of 7lb from close rival Sustained here and with the form of that horse’s debut win up for question that could prove vital.
Hughie Morrison has enlisted the services of leading rider Oisin Murphy to get the job done and there are few men in better form at the moment.
I’ll also advise a market check on Peter Chapple-Hyam’s debutant Izzy Skint, with the three-year-old debuting in the trainer’s own colours. The only horse to do so in recent times, Defence Of Fort, was a 12/1 debut winner having seen some each-way support and similar would be interesting here.
Makalu
7.25 Ripon
Though in-form three-year-old rival Havana Prince looks well worthy of his position as favourite, given recent form, I can’t help but feel the presence of a pair of other battle-hardened front runners in Garden Oasis and Easter Island could make this difficult for him to make all as he has the last twice.
In theory, the race sets up well for Ruth Carr’s Makalu, who also arrives in form following three wins in five starts this season. It could well have been four wins but for a luckless passage here on June 5 in a race won by Garden Oasis himself, where he appeared to finish with plenty left to give. That theory was proven with victory at Beverley on June 18 and given the manner of his ‘come from behind’ wins, the handicapper looks to be struggling to get to grips with him.
Having been handed just a 4lb rise for his comfortable recent win, he remains well below his career-high rating and arrives in fine fettle. Much will depend on the sectionals here, hopefully they go quick enough for him and Sullivan, who partners once again, can plot a path to victory.
War Zone
7.35 Wolverhampton
Much will depend on the market for this gelded son of Bated Breath, but I thought there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his first run in the cheekpieces on April 18. That run saw him beaten 1 ½ lengths at Chelmsford, attempting to come from the rear of the field and notably finishing 2 ½ lengths ahead of the re-opposing Forgotten Treasure.
With Chelsea Banham’s runner now three times the price of that rival, I could forgive his lesser run over 7f back at Chelmsford on May 2 and he could be leniently treated now returned from a break. It’s also worth noting he’s since changed ownership and having previously ran in Banham’s own colours will now carry the same colours as stablemate Law Of Average, who won at Windsor last week following a similar change in ownership.
Leodis Dream
8.00 Ripon
Paul Midgley is always a name worth noting on the race card and often particularly when he fires more than one shot at a race. The Yorkshireman arrives with three bullets in this ultra-competitive handicap over the minimum trip and I’m interested in Leodis Dream at an each-way price.
The eight-year-old gelding will have to bounce back from a poor run at Hamilton when last seen but is certainly worth a look on the evidence of his course and distance run on May 10. I think the run at Hamilton, where he paid the price for forcing an early pace in a race where the early leaders finished 7th, 9th and 10th.
He looks to be drawn well to bid to make all this time around, with his post in stall 13 nicely away from the other pace challengers all drawn in stalls 2-6. That high draw puts him up against the often favourable near-side rail and I’m sure we’ll see David Nolan make plenty of use of him. As a side note, look out for any support for stablemate Rock Of England, who won in first-time blinkers in June 2023 and is tried in the aid for the first time since joining Midgley.
Sea La Venus
8.30 Ripon
With the stable in supreme form, striking at 33% in the last fortnight, it looks hard to look beyond handicap debutant Sea La Venus here with the filly certainly bred to be better than her opening mark of 62.
Indeed, there were suggestions that may be the case when fifth in a warm Newmarket novice contest on May 18 in which the first three are all 80+ fillies. Her sights are now dramatically lowered, starting out in class 6 company and it would surely be something of a disappointment for connections if she weren’t able to take advantage.
Watch all the action from Worcester, Wolverhampton and Ripon – live on Sky Sports Racing…
Source : Sky Sports
