Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
13:57 Wincanton – Getalead
15:30 The Curragh – Rio Largo
18:15 Musselburgh – Toimy Son
18:45 Musselburgh – Badri
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
13:57 Wincanton – Getalead
The ground always has to be watched closely at this time of the year, and despite a hugely wet spring, the going at the South Somerset track is likely to be on the fast side of good, which turns it into a test of speed and that makes the Paul Nicholls’ charge, Irish Hill, a big player even off top weight in this 2m5f handicap hurdle.
However, I thought he looked a shade too short in the betting forecast and there may well be some mileage in opposing the six-year-old with our selection GETALEAD. True, it’s a while since he landed his last gold medal (18 months ago), but he recorded back-to-back wins on good ground at Warwick and Newton Abbot off 114 and then 121 and is back down to 114 here. I’m of course banking that a recent wind surgery has the desired effect on his first run back, but if it does, the son of Getaway could leave his recent moderate form behind him under Bryan Carver. From the remainder, the in from pair, Magic Seven and Ike Sport could still have more improvement in them, but both arrive here off significant absences.
15:30 The Curragh – Rio Largo
El Bello finally got some pace in the race and duly pounced on his 13 rivals at Dundalk last week and has solid claims of following that up on the turf if Sean D Bowen manages to cover him up early on before being unleashed up the final climb. It will be interesting to see how Queenie St Clair takes to the first time visor, having raced a shade lazily on her last run at Leopardstown, before consenting to put her best foot forward after the race had all but been decided.
I make that duo the biggest dangers to my ‘value play’ RIO LARGO. Luke Comer’s charge is a very interesting player, having run over a mile or further on his last eight runs, and on several occasions simply not getting home. His last win at this intermediate 7f trip came at Galway on deep ground and he now finds himself running off only a 2lbs higher mark. A confirmed hold up horse, the son of Dick Whittington will be very well served by the likely fast pace up top, probably led by the free running and quite well weighted Fiver Friday.
18:15 Musselburgh – Toimy Son
There is a bundle of early pace-setters in this 7f field and several of these may cut each others throats before the quarter mile pole and that could well set this up for David Menuisier’s charge TOIMY SON. I put the five-year-old on to my horses to watch out for list following his last run at Kempton Park when he was a huge eye catcher behind Zero Carbon off a mark of 92.
Last year he was very highly tried in some of the best 7f handicaps including the Buckingham Palace and Victoria Cups as Ascot off handicap ratings went as high as 105. Set to run off 91 here, and with the imperious Tom Marquand in the saddle, I make the Twilight Son gelding just about the best bet of the day to see off the likes of Abduction and Conservationist.
18:45 Musselburgh – Badri
Where do we start here, with a massive field of 17 to go to post? Well, that naughty word in horse racing ‘luck’ looks sure to be a massive factor here especially if your fancy is held up early on and drawn close to the stands’ side rails. There are just two course and distance winners in the field and one of them, Zarzyni, is arguably the best handicapped speedster in the race having run off 97 this time last year in the Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap and beaten by six and three quarter lengths by the other course and distance winner in the field, Silky Wilkie who is now 8lbs better off here.
Both have solid claims if they get the run of the race. The most fascinating entry has to be the Aidan O’Brien trained Londoner who raced from a mile to a mile and a quarter in Ireland. After starting his career over 11 furlongs at Kempton, Jim Goldie now drops him hugely down to five furlongs! The nod though goes to Julie Camacho’s charge BADRI. He will need plenty of luck in the run from the back of the pack, but back down to a rating of 101 he has a big chance of putting these to the sword. Finally a word about Equality who carries top weight and should be contesting Listed and Group Three races later in the season. He has to come into calculations, but only if there is some give in the turf.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
13:57 Wincanton – Getalead
15:30 The Curragh – Rio Largo
18:15 Musselburgh – Toimy Son
18:45 Musselburgh – Badri
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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