York 7.15 Handicap Class 4 - 6 furlongs - 22 run - Good to Firm

 

The obvious one here is the wholly unexposed  RAYAT @ 3/1 widely  from the Bin Suroor yard who dropped down to 6 furlongs and made it all at Nottingham recently. A 7lbs penalty does not look excessive and actually if you can get 3/1 or better a "win saver" is clearly a sensible side bet.  

 

If you then look at the remaining 22 runners however and take out those with no course form or very little credible form at the trip or in this class, then take out the likes of Roundhay Park (Tracker horse) who would ideally need some significant cut in the ground, Minnesota Lad an improving Fahey 4 year old up 4lbs for a Doncaster win and who is 4th top rated (handy reserve if we have a non runner), and Regal Envoy who was my 5th rated and who would have been an e/w punt but for having no course experience, this does not look like a particularly deep race, which is unusual for York.

 

I'm keen therefore to have 3 e/w punts in here, maybe reduce your stakes given the type of race at your discretion, but I'll be disappointed if these 3 aren't in the first 5-6 home.

 

Draw wise, all are middle to high, that's not a plan but a coincidence but I have no qualms about the Draw bias or lack of it.

 

GOOD EARTH is a Course and Distance winner off this sort of mark, is drawn 13 and enjoys this type of ground and with luck in running i frankly can't find any reasons not to select it. IT JUST TAKES TIME is far more speculative but I think over-priced, a decent Course run fading late on at 7 furlongs here last season off a mark of 88 having raced prominently; suggests this drop in trip might be ideal off a mark of 81 with a decent 5lbs Claimer on board. MAY BLOSSOM may now be coming to hand and 6 furlongs may now be the ideal trip for one also berthed middle to high in Stall 15. (Northern)

 

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Sandown 7.05 - Handicap Class 4- 1 mile 6 furlongs - 14 run - Good (drying)

 

A fair few NH types in here and some unexposed 4 year olds still to reach full potential

 

Mr Freedom with a 4lbs penalty, Whispering Royal a consistent horse but one who barely gets this trip and C'Mon Kenny who should improve on its second run this season are all feared and well supported by the market but opposable.

 

Damascus Steel at a bigger price could be a genuine danger at this trip and my 3rd rated and well worth a small investment is 14 MILITARY DECORATION @ 40/1 who has placed form at around a mar of 70 at the trip on Good to Firm, placed in this last year and gets a bit of an eye-catching jockey booking off a mark of 67 and a 3lbs claim.

 

My top 2 rated though are CRESCENT LAKE from the Gary Moore yard who won at this distance at Goodwood on Good to Firm last summer off a mark of 80 and who look pretty solid therefore off a mark of 78 here and CLAN CHIEFTAIN, one we may not yet have seen the best of,and whose run at Salisbury in May offered a real prospect of a win at some point this season. (TA)

 

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