We haven't been really successful with our selections in the last couple of days, or better to say, weeks! Another rather disappointing day yesterday at the Curragh, with none of our three selections getting even close winning it. It was one of those low times, after we hit it big last month. For a bit of change I'll be concentrating on the All-Weather today...
15.45 Wolverhampton: Shahrazad @ 6/1 Boylesports
New surface at Wolverhampton today - interesting to see how it goes. It should be a huge change to what was in the last couple of month before the relay, in terms of kickback. However AW surfaces in general tend to favour horses ridden up or close to the pace in my mind, and that won't change with Tapeta. Intriguing enough, there is loads of pace in this race today and I would imagine you might have to stay bit further than the 7f to be in with a chance. The lightly raced favourite Malyana makes plenty of appeal on the weights, and form she showed during the winter month. If she is fit after a break, she'll be in with a big shout. However she is quite a short price and fitness has to be taken on trust, so I rather like to go with proven class here. My selection Shahrazad goes well on the All-Weather and has winning form from 7-10f. She is best when up with the pace, which she wasn't in her most recent starts. I expect a change of tactics today, back to front-running style or something very much up with the pace. The fact that she stays further than the 7f trip counts as a bonus and only 1lb above her last winning mark, she makes appeal. Even more so with De Sousa booked for the ride. Trainer and jockey had only two rides together last year - both successful! So I imagine if this top class jockey is booked today, then there is a big run expected.
16.45 Wolverhampton: Orion's Boy @ 4/1 Boylesports - 3pts win
Crowdmania might have the run of the race from the front in a race with not too much pace in it, a return to the All-Weather will help him too and that makes him certainly an interesting runner. However he has hardly any secrets left after 19 starts and the trip will stretch him on pedigree, with a mile probably the maximum he should get. So for that reason I oppose him. Lightly raced Fajry makes appeal on the new trip, but the mark is stiff enough, John Gosden's 3yo colt Orion's Boy makes plenty of appeal though. Also still quite lightly raced, he should relish the step up in trip as well. He won really well at Lingfield last time out, when he appeared to be on a couple of occasions outpaced over 7f and he needed a while to hit top gear, but when he did, he was always going to win. The new mark seems reasonable and it is not impossible that he can be still a good deal better than that over the new trip in particular. Slight worry is that he's probably held up, but this a risk I'm prepared to take since I feel this horse is well handicapped.
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