Racing tips: Gaassee has the minerals to carry a big weight to victory

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Zarinsk delivered the goods under another front-running ride by Colin Keane. She's a progressive filly who will be aimed at Group 1 honours now, and based on that, I can't see why she wouldn't land a Group 1 over 7f. She is such a brave and tenacious little horse who gives it her all every time and when she gets an uncontested lead on the front, she is dangerous. It was a much-needed winner, so thanks to Colin 🙌

York 7:15 – Electric Eyes 11/2 (1pt Bet365)

How Sparks Fly is favourite for this contest is just baffling to me. She has won the last seven races and has progressed from a horse in the 50s to now being rated 98, but come on she hasn't beaten much to get to that rating and this is a totally different ball game to what she has been running against, I'm sorry but if you're backing her at 7/4 you're crazy. I think she should be 10/1 at the very least, and I still don't think I'd be backing her at those odds either.

To rank her shorter than horses who have proven Class 1 form is ludicrous to me, and like always I'll end up with egg on my face and she'll win, but I'll never change and I'll put my opinion out there every time. Electric Eyes stood out the most for me, Karl Burke is having a tremendous season and is proving to be the powerhouse stable from the north. They recently had a winner in a Listed race at Newmarket on the weekend with a very similar profile. like Electric Eyes, Novakai was beaten by Commissioning as a juvenile and I think that is very strong form as she did win the Fillies' Mile Group 1. Novakai was upped in trip on the weekend and won with ease on soft ground, Electric Eyes is trying a similar path today over 10f for the first time, but the main difference is that this is on seasonal reappearance which is a tall order.

Electric Eyes has only run twice and has been given a rating of 105, which is some doing, but hardly surprising given how Commissioning went on to win a Group 1. This horse is bred to stay further than the 7f she was running over as a 2yo, and she should handle the soft ground at York with her winning on soft on her debut last September. If the money arrives, that will be a huge bonus, but she is weak in the market at the moment and I think she could be the class act in this field if she is fit and ready today.

Ascot 3:35 – Gaassee 15/8 (1pt WilliamHill)

Most horses in the lineup will not find soft ground as their ideal condition, but I see Gaassee enjoying today's conditions, which might dry out to good to soft come the time of racing, but he has won on soft ground early into his career before finishing 3rd in the Old Newton Cup last year on soft ground, so you know for a fact he handles it.

Not only does this horse handle any ground, but he is also in good form. You've got to ignore his first two runs of this year, and I am a firm believer of you're as good as your last race, and that saw Gaassee finish 4th in this year's Old Newton Cup at Haydock. He is a very good handicapper on his day, and that's why I'm not worried about the big weight of 10st 2lbs he has to carry as he is clearly the class act in the race, and I don't think this race is too strong to suggest he couldn't carry it to success.

I think that it's interesting that Tom Marquand has opted to come to Ascot today over York where he would've been riding Golden Lyra in the Listed contest, which is a much bigger prize pool on offer. That gives me the impression he is very confident of landing this £23,193 to the winner handicap. I can see why, and I think he holds very strong claims in this race, as his odds would suggest.

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