Racing tips: Five Towns can be another winner for the hot-combo of Haggas/Marquand

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Bella Blue Eyes went out like a light at Tipperary. I knew she wouldn't get the lead like she has done in the past, but she sat prominently as I hoped. She was off the bridle much sooner than I thought and she went backwards through the field, I think she couldn't bridge the gap to Class 1 level rather than something being amiss.

Windsor 6:00 – Five Towns 2/1 (1pt Bet365)

At first, I was tempted to go with Time's Eye for this race, with her being a previous selection of mine and though she didn't win when I tipped her up I've always felt like she was better than her current handicap mark. However, the more I look at the form, I think Five Towns is head and shoulders above this field and she's been very unlucky to bump into a couple of good horses in recent races.

She has to carry a joint weight of 9st 11lbs in this contest, which isn't ideal, but I think she is ahead of her rating of 80 and based on that she can carry whatever weight she wants as I think she is better than this field, which isn't particularly strong. She ran a career-best over a mile last time out for the first time and she bumped into Quick Change who has since finished 2nd and 3rd in Listed contests in France, and is currently rated 95 which is 17lbs higher than when they met at Haydock in the middle of June! The third-placed horse at Haydock has won since, so the form looks solid, with the front two being a few lengths ahead of those in behind.

Five Town's previous run was at York over 7f, she was positioned towards the rear and never looked to be travelling too well, but she stayed on nicely and that solidified my opinion that today's trip of a mile is 100% what she needs at this moment in her career, and that thought was amplified by the good run at Haydock. The form of the York race has worked out well with the winner winning the time after and then finishing 2nd in a Class 2 race at Chester, recording an RPR of 100. The runner-up has won since, as have a few others who were further behind.

The Haggas and Marquand combination remains in hot form, in the last two weeks the pair have had 12 winners each, which is strike rates of 24% and 21%.

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