Yesterday’s Review
0.5pt e/way Miss Nifty (104) – The selection travelled well as usual and finished off her race nicely. Unfortunately, she bumped into one that was less exposed and came up a half length short. Result 2nd 13/2 adv…9/1 SP.
0.75pt e/way Chazzesmee (96) – The Sunriseontheboyne race from September at Listowel looked a strong race on the clock, and so it proved with the winner Titanium (109) winning sporting a first time visor. The selection ran way below form finishing a well beaten fifteenth, and I wonder was the race needed following a 40 day break…
0.75pt e/way Coeur d’Or (96) – I took too much of a chance with this one who hated the ground and should have been a non-runner really. Previous heavy ground meetings at this venue have given soft ground times and the earlier races on the card were not as bad. Unfortunately, the ground had opened up by race six and it was proper heavy ground by that stage. No worse than yielding or yielding to soft for this one would be best.
Today’s Advice
THANKS DAD (6f 16y Hcap) – This five-year-old has improved since reverting to sprinting the last twice. Two runs back he recorded a (104) timefigure at Brighton behind improving three-year-old Pietro when running on well from a midfield position despite not getting the clearest of runs. He was beaten three and a quarter lengths in fourth, but next time out over course and distance won nicely carrying 15lbs more while recording a (102) timefigure. He raced prominently on that occasion before taking up the running over a furlong from home and holding off Atomic Mass by three quarters of a length.
The handicapper has raised him five pounds for that performance for tonight’s (8.15) Southwell and trainer Scott Dixon has booked five pound apprentice Taryn Langley to offset the rise. Taryn has ridden 20 winners this season including two winners last month aboard Boss Lady at Brighton and Fair Dinkum at Salisbury.
On a day that looked competitive enough he looked the right price for a sporting interest.
AL RIFFA (16f Gp1 handicap) – The Melbourne Cup is truly the race that stops a nation but I have to say that this year’s contest doesn’t look the strongest of renewals. Plenty of rain has fallen on the track recently and the going has been advertised as a Soft 5. A few more millimetres have been added to it since and although the track can drain very well it looks like a preference for a bit of cut will be a big help.
Top weights don’t have a great record in the contest but having gone through the contestants for the (4.00am) Flemington it has to be said that the selection’s form looks very difficult to top. He looks to have really enjoyed the step up to fourteen furlongs recently having won twice very easily over that distance at The Curragh.
Last time out he won by four lengths in the Irish St Leger while carrying 9st 10lbs from Amiloc who advertised that form at the weekend at Del Mar finishing a very credible fourth behind Ethical Diamond in the Breeders Cup Turf. He has some solid Group 1 form on his CV and finishing runner-up to City Of Troy by a length in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown looks a decent effort now following that one’s win from Calandagan in the Juddmonte at York.
The recent rain should favour this son of Wootton Bassett and connections have booked recent race winner Mark Zahra who has won the race on Gold Trip in 2022 and Without A Fight in 2023 from wide draws.
Everything looks in place for a solid performance and although the price looks where it should be he definitely warrants an interest.
0.75pt e/way Thanks Dad (5/1 general 4 places) 8.15 Southwell
1pt e/way Al Riffa (6/1 Paddy Power, 11/2 Ladbrokes, Coral 5 places) 4.00am Flemington