Today’s horse racing preview selections come over two meetings, Musselburgh & Windsor. There are some seriously well handicapped horses out today, lets hope I have got this spot on.
14.50 Musselburgh – 100% Racing UK Profits Back to Racing Handicap (7.1f) (0-100)
Lualiwa (106)
Heavens Guest (106)
Von Blucher (104
A tight nit Class 2 Handicap to bring in the first selection this afternoon, all of the three I have put forward this afternoon are definitely well handicapped on what they have been showing of late, especially the top two. Heavens Guest was last seen when finishing fourth at Ascot over 8f, which he does not often do, also he does not get his actual ground that often either, but this afternoon the official going is good which has shown his true form. However these days he seems to show his true colours at Northern tracks such as York or Thirsk and has only ventured away on four occasions from home surroundings without success.
The fact that Heavens Guest is coming into this off just 89 is giving him a chance, if we go back to his second over distance and ground at York last May, he was seen to be just denied by Jallota who has recently won the Listed Guisborough Stakes when beating Von Blucher, posting a rating of 110 in the process, so even though Heavens Guest is now seven he cannot be disregarded lightly and looks to have enough weight to hold the form with Lualiwa.
With Von Blucher mentioned, this brings me on to Lualiwa of Kevin Ryan’s, he has a bit to find with the selection this afternoon when they met at Ascot last month in the Cunard Handicap, Heaven Guest was just a length in front that day, however the selection was conceding 2lb, with the age weight allowance and Andrew McNamara’s 3lb claim it is hard to see that form being reversed.
HEAVENS GUEST : 1pt each way @ 9/1 (BOG)
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15.20 Musselburgh – Breeders Backing Racing EBF Flying Scotsman Conditions Stakes (5f)
Ornate (105)
Alpha Delphini (94)
Robert Cowell’s Ornate should be using his 6lb turnaround at the weights with Alpha Delphini this time around, the latter beat the selection when they met at Beverley last month, there were two and three quarter lengths between them on that occasion with the selection having to concede 6lb to the winner, its all reversed today and off level weights that should be reversed.
The race I got the rating off for my ratings is when Ornate finished behind Waady at Leicester, even though Waady has been beaten twice recently that has come at pattern and Listed level. I would like to think the race will pan out between these two, with Ornate getting revenge.
ORNATE : 2pt Win @ 13/8 (BOG)
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15.30 Windsor – Call Star Sports On 08000 521 321 Fillies Handicap (8f) (0-80)
Hidden Steps (94)
Clef (89)
Killay (79)
The two top rated here look miles ahead of this field, Richard Fahey’s Clef was last seen thirteen days ago when finishing second to the smart Jay Kay who has once more defied a penalty to win in 0-85 company last week. This is a downgrade for Clef considering that last run came in a 0-90 race, so in theory that puts Jay Kay well into the nineties on paper.
But he won’t find it easy to fend off Andrew Balding’s Hidden Steps who was beaten by Enable in this years Cheshire Oaks, fair enough she was not in that league, but we now know the heights that filly fullfilled. Even Hidden Steps last run at Haydock would give her a good chance off 82 here, it does look just between these two possible good fillies this afternoon with the slight vote going to the Balding entry.
Killay would probably have to improve 10lb to overhaul the top two in the ratings, but we have to see if she gets this stiff mile around Windsor this afternoon.
HIDDEN STEPS : 1pt each way @ 18/1 (BOG)
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16.55 Mussleburgh – Finest Collection of Racing on Racing UK Handicap (7.1f) (0-75)
Sexy Legs (90)
Lucky Violet (78)
Geophony (77)
I would seriously like to think Rebecca Menzies Sexy Legs is still very much ahead of the handicapper even though coming here on a 6lb penalty. Her run when holding on gamely to take the scalp of Arnarson who was fancied to win that race for Ed Dunlop, The ex David Wachman in-mate, has only competed at 7f twice in her career, but if we disregard her run at Catterick in may and concentrate on when she finished three lengths off the likes of 92 rated Stormfly when in her days as a three year old in Ireland, she was even a fairly useful juvenile when finishing a good three lengths off the smart Cursory Glance in the Group 3 Albany Stakes, that winner went on to land the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
It’s a long way since those days and now she is competing at this moderate level, a level she definitely exploited last time out an can do so again quickly. Iain Jardine has been making a name for himself around both codes this season and saddles Lucky Violet here. She looked in need of the run last time when down the field over 8f here at Musselburgh. She drops back to the 7f distance her that saw her winning off 67, she was beating horses that day who were rated 10lb above her grade so now she comes into this off 73 she has probably been slapped with a big enough penalty to maybe holt her this time around.
You can never overlook an out of form horse form the Mark Johnston stable, Geophony has not shown any significance that a win is imminent, however she is a course and distance winner when winning her maiden around here last July, she even had a recent spell over hurdles which to be honest was not that enlightening, she would have to improve quite a few pounds to trouble the two top rated here in my opinion.
SEXY LEGS : 2pt Win @ 5/1 (BOG)
Best of Luck, Bet Responsibly
