Racing tips: Dan Skelton’s Runwiththetide can prove to be too good in the opener at Stratford

This tip has expired. Please check our free horse racing tips section of the website to find the most up to date.

There's some good racing on today, but nothing caught my eye other than the Dan Skelton runner in the opener at Stratford. Hopefully she can run a belter and get us off to a great start for Thursday afternoon.

Stratford 12:25

I think this race will be decided between two horses, Aurelia Or and RUNWITHTHETIDE, and I think the latter could be quite a useful recruit to the Skelton's.

Aurelia Or definitely sets the standard having raced over hurdles four times already, and has decent bits of form here and there. She comes back into maiden company and has the young 10lb claimer, Joe Anderson, doing the steering. That 10lb which will come off her back will be very handy, and it means she runs off bottom weight, despite already having a handicap mark of 119, so you'd have to say she's the one they all have to beat. However, I do think she is vulnerable to an improver, and I think that is the Highclere Owned, Runwiththetide who ran a perfectly good race on hurdles debut behind what appears to be a very good horse in Nina The Terrier, trained by Alan King. The selection jumped beautifully all the way round, but was simply outclassed by the winner who should go on to bigger and better things.

The selection goes up in trip today and that should be a benefit. She is a previous PTP winner when she was based in Ireland, so clearly stays the 3m well, hence why Dan Skelton has upped her to 2m 6f already. I think the run at Chepstow was a pipe opener, and it wasn't a problem if she got beat that day and there will be targets later on in the season she can aim towards. Harry Skelton looked after her last time out, he knew the winner was far too good, so as soon as she went past Runwiththetide, he just pushed her out under hands and heels, and she wasn't whipped once. Even though she was under hands and heels, and the winner motored away, I think she stayed on well at a good pace, so clearly the extra few furlongs will be a benefit. Also, the good ground which she'll face is definitely seen to be a bonus. She won her PTP on good ground, and she ran well on good lto. The other horse I mentioned has form on soft ground, so has to prove herself on a quicker surface.

As for the others in the race, I'm not too concerned as they have either shown little to no form, or don't look progressive. Sharp Shadow would be a concern if the money arrives as she come to Phillip Hobbs on the back of a PTP win. I just think that the selection will be a 125+ rated horse at the very least at some point in the near future, and she will test their jumping as she will more than likely run from the front again.

Horse Racing Tips

🔗 Share Your Horse Racing Tips on Social Media