It was a rare, busy day on Monday. I try to avoid sticking up a lot of selections, as it can backfire a lot if none of them are winners.
Thankfully, the main play of the day was a winner at Plumpton.
Secret Des Dieux managed to be ahead of the handicapper, but I think he is slowly catching up to him. He didn't win as easily as he did last time out, but got the job done over the frontrunning runner-up and a fast-finishing Edwardstone.
Savante didn't see the trip out and never looked to be in contention until half a mile from home, where Brian Hayes tried to make up ground from the rear. Military Academy was shocking. Planned Paradise put in a strange performance.
Salaria 2/1 (1pt) – Pontefract 3.27
I prefer the jumps racing, but the only card of the day looks appalling and nothing grabbed my attention. As a result, my only selection of the day comes at Pontefract.
Charlie Clover isn't a name I'm familiar with, but he is a relatively new trainer based out of Newmarket, and is another trainer who knows what he is doing. He has been firing winners out of a 20% strike rate since getting his licence, and has started the new year off at an event better rate of 41%.
It appears that he has got a tune out of Salaria, who has managed to win four times since leaving Ollie Pears for Charlie Clover last September. Charlie is 2/2 at this track, with Salaria being a winner on her stable debut at Pontefract at odds of 5/2.
Since that first win for the yard, she is now 15lbs higher in the handicap, and has recorded his other three wins on the all-weather. Because we know he is a course winner, it's something we can be confident that he is not just an all-weather horse. He seems to have returned in the same level of form, as she won first time out this year a few weeks ago at Lingfield, and that was a career best by at least 5lbs according to Racing Post Ratings.
If Salaria were to continue her progression with another win on Tuesday, she would have to prove she can win off a 5lb higher handicap mark than last time out and is up against the boys. This doesn't look like it's the strongest of races, and since the trainer is 2/2 at the track, it's a huge confidence booster that he is sending her here.
Stall 2 could be an issue if she doesn't break out of the stalls on terms, as it could allow the wider drawn horses to cut in front, and then she will have to play the waiting game up the home straight.
GambleAware