Bank holiday Mondays come with certain eventualities.
The eventuality that your boss rings you for a ‘small job’ while you’re hungover, the eventuality that you give in and run down the local chippie and the eventuality that you lie on your side to watch racing all day.
Well folks, have we got a bank holiday aid for you.
Windsor – 16:20
This one’s a little cracker.
This eight-runner Class 3 handicap has some better-than-face-value sorts in here and while Henry Candy’s Greenside likely goes off favourite, I’m opposing him here.
The logic for that, of course, is that Chatez was long overdue winning a race of that nature and to finish with running was an achievement in and of itself. He comes in again off 90 and the form looks rock solid – however, he’ll be plenty short enough.
There’s a lot to like about Top Mission. He wasn’t considered good enough for Saeed bin Suroor, but that’s not a condemnation these days.
Marco Botti welcomed this recruit to his yard and he looked reinvigorated. He fell short by a head in his yard debut at Chelmsford – perhaps Ryan Moore was a tad too lax on him. This time, David Egan is aboard and one would suspect he’s probably going to give him a more enterprising ride.
Beverley – 16:50
Granted this is hardly the strongest race you’ll ever see, but anyone backing Crownthorpe at that price must be chasing losses already.
He was similarly-priced last time out (about a week ago) when behind some exposed sorts and he had every chance when things opened up for him a furlong out. He was hardly sprinting towards the line at the end.
Instead, the pin falls on Enzemble who has improved with every run. He hit the front a bit too early in his previous run Kempton back in February and the booking of De Sousa seems like he wants to be ridden with patience – an approach that should better reflect his ability levels.
Getting 6lbs from Crownthorpe seals the deal.
Bath – 17:10
Among those prominent in the betting are some serious red herrings. Tony Carroll’s Mrs. Todd went off at 33/1 in her previous run despite finishing third.
However, that doesn’t tell the whole story and that false position doesn’t do her ability justice. She’s a very average type, even in this company.
Granted Fareeq has become expensive to follow as he’s been a beaten favourite in his last two starts, but he didn’t get a clear run when behind Big Time Maybe at Linfield and he ran behind a couple of well-handicapped sorts last time out.
I’m not so sure Charlie Wallis will be giving up on him just yet and neither should you as he runs again off a fair mark of 64.
PaddyPower.com has all the latest racing odds