It is another high-quality Monday on Sky Sports Racing with action from Windsor and Brighton and Elliot David returns with five horses to follow across the cards.
ALSHIMALI
Although we look to have a number with claims in here, not least penalised winner Blenheim Star and handicap debut runners-up Red Cloud and Dashing Donkey, I’d say Shadwell’s Alshimali is well worth a look.
His trainer Marcus Tregoning has a terrific record in course handicaps, striking at 39 per cent in such races at Brighton in the last five years. Backing each runner would’ve yielded a level stakes profit of £27.86 to a £1 stake.
This son of Invincible Spirit is clearly bred to be better than a mark of 57, by Invincible Spirit and a half-brother to two well above average winners over seven to 10 furlongs. Though he’s shown relatively little to date, a first-time tongue-tie could assist and he’ll be worth monitoring in the markets tomorrow.
ON THE CARDS
If I’ve considered Alshimali in the previous race, I must also consider Tregoning’s other runner in On The Cards, who takes a step down in class following a hugely promising handicap debut on May 6 at Bath.
That effort saw him running on into third in a class 4, 0-80 contest surrounded by horses well above his rating of 68. I think the 1lb drop he received from the handicapper was extremely lenient and he now takes on no rival of the same talent in this class 5 contest.
I would also keep an eye on Tony Carroll’s runner Douglas Dc off a reduced mark of 66 now returned to racing on the level. That mark of 66 would be of interest if returning to the level of his best efforts in Ireland for Gordon Elliott, with form behind the 87-rated Star Kissed notably useful.
BOLD IMPACT
Given the Haggas-trained Titian Blue has seen her debut form take a few knocks in recent days, I’d side with the Ralph Beckett-trained Bold Impact here. The son of Blue Point caught the eye at Newmarket, surrendering ground to his rivals with a slow start before coming home nicely into third. With the Rowley Mile riding to suit prominent racers, I’d mark that effort up.
The fourth El Burhan has already reappeared to frank the form with victory at Yarmouth and given many of the Beckett two-year-olds are coming on plenty for their first run, I’d expect he could take some stopping here from a favourable draw in stall 4.
DAPPER VALLEY
I think the Newmarket handicap on April 18 in which Trefor (2nd), Dapper Valley (3rd) and Cajetan (6th) all ran could hold the key to unpicking this hyper-competitive handicap. That race saw the group racing up the centre of the track slightly favoured, as was the case for many of the races on the card. While Trefor raced up the centre, both Dapper Valley and Cajetan ran big races in the near side group and could be slightly marked up having raced against the bias.
The winner, Woodhay Wonder, has followed up to earn a rating of 98, showcasing the strength of the race, while Jack Channon’s charge has since reappeared to win at Kempton. The Hannon runner can be forgiven a disappointing run back at Newmarket, when hampered at the start and forced to race unfavourably off the pace and he’s a tempting each-way price here.
Of course, you must respect likely favourite Blue Day who could yet have any amount in hand from a rating of 84 but questions are asked of him up in class and the odds of 7-4 don’t appeal in a race of this depth. Nibbles of each-way money for Matters Most would be interesting given his high-class two-year-old form on fast ground but he’d be entitled to need this run.
GREY OWL
The familiar colours of four-time Windsor winner Grey Fox, who runs in the concluding 8.45 handicap, are also carried by stablemate Grey Owl here. The four-year-old caught the eye here on May 20 when enduring a troubled passage on handicap debut over 10f and can improve for a further step up in trip.
With the benefit of hindsight he had an impossible task that day in conceding the first run and a chunk of weight to winner Laser Focus, who has followed up since and looks well ahead of the assessor, and with all due respect looks likely to face nothing of that calibre here. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t make the frame.
Watch every race from Windsor & Brighton all live on Sky Sports Racing on Monday, June 3 from 2pm.