It looked like it was going to be another frustrating day at the office, but Al Wasl Storm made sure it ended on a high note.
A recent theme of the runners I've been backing is how keen they've been running. Unfortunately, it's not something you can account for when picking a horse, unless they have a track record of doing it. I'd say the majority of the horses that have been running keen for me are experienced older horses, and Classic was another example of that.
Classic pulled Sean Levey's arms out. It wasn't a surprise to see him tailing off when the race heated up, as he blew his chance from the start.
Binhareer was also keen in his race, but he is still a lightly raced horse. He eventually lost by 0.75L, so it might have been different if he hadn't exerted some of his energy early in the race by wanting to go faster.
Al Wasl Storm put in a lovely, genuine performance. The horse travelled nicely under Billy Loughnane, and when Billy asked him to go and win his race, he stuck to the task and pulled clear inside the final half a furlong.
Rosy Affair 9/2 (1pt) – Pontefract 3.42
I can understand why the three horses at the top of the market are there, but I do think Rosy Affair has the best form in the race.
With the front three in the market, you're going off potential, but sometimes the best form in the race prevails. I think Rosy Affair has a good chance in this, as long as Billy Loughnane manages to get a clear passage. Pontefract is an awkward course, especially in big fields, as the bend for home either means you have to go wide or take a gamble up the inside rail. Rosy Affair is drawn in 11, which hasn't been too bad in recent meetings at Pontefract, as coming from off the pace has been quite advantageous.
The return to 6f is probably the main reason why Rosy Affair isn't shorter in the market. She has been running over 5f the last couple of runs, but she has form over six in the past, and she does stay on well over shorter. The form of her recent fourth at York is very strong. That was against the boys, and since then, Jm Jungle has won the big sprint at Glorious Goodwood, and Miss Attitude has won a Listed race in France.
Philanthropist 7/2 (1pt) – Southwell 4.22
I try and stay clear of betting on the all-weather, especially Southwell, as I still have nightmares from when it was fibresand a few years ago. Despite that, they have a couple of Class 4 races, including this one, which is a good race.
Even though it's not fibresand anymore and it's a tapeta surface, some horses still struggle to enjoy the track, so having form on the course is a big plus. Philanthropist is a course and distance winner from earlier in the season, and is 2/2 on the artificial surfaces.
Since the win over C&D, they've opted to race him on the turf. He has run well on the three starts since, but it's evident that he likes this surface a lot more than the grass. The form of his Southwell win now looks very good. He beat Prince Of India into second place, and that horse has since won three times, including an RPR success of 110 at the Shergar Cup last weekend. He is now rated 104. Obviously, that doesn't mean Philanthropist is miles ahead of the handicapper, but it shows he beat a very good horse at the time they met, and I think the return to Southwell will pay dividends for the Fanshawe stable.
GambleAware