Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
14:10 Ffos Las – Western
14:48 Hexham – Toscan Genius
15:00 Pontefract – Sea Of Roses
17:00 Pontefract – Hectic
*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.
14:10 Ffos Las – Western
A typical Class 5 sprint in which most of the 10 runners will win in their turn throughout the season. The exception to that rule is Sarahs Verse who has entered the winner’s enclosure twice on her last six starts. A handicap mark of 72 certainly doesn’t overburden her and she has run well on her only previous start here. However, she may find the concession of 6lbs to the selection just beyond her.
This will be only the sixth career start for the three-year-old, WESTERN, on turf, his 10th on all surfaces, and his young jockey may well have overdone the pressing tactics last time out at Lingfield Park when finishing a three-and-a-half length third of nine behind Formidable Force. Dropping a further pound in the weights here, if Alec Voikhansky has learned from that run then hopefully he will keep a bit more up his sleeve here on the run down to the distance. Of his other rivals, I have the most respect for fellow three-year-old Northfield Lake who arguably didn’t get home over the stiff seven furlongs at Sandown Park last time out.
14:48 Hexham – Toscan Genius
Trainer Stuart Coltherd could apparently give no explanation for the vastly-improved performance of his Breakdance Kid here last time out when he jumped and travelled for fun before putting a field of 12 to the sword with ridiculous ease. A career-high mark of 104 here obviously requires more and he has disappointed in the past following a win. Still, he is respected in this slightly better contest over a bit shorter.
The question is, can the six-year-old give 17lbs away to the Brian Ellison trained charge, TOSCAN GENIUS? The Malton trainer has his team in great form both on the level (landed the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley) and over the sticks and in this seven-year-old gelding he has a player here at a big price. I always like to have a second look at Brian’s charges when he does something different, that flat winner was making her debut in that feature event, and going from two to three miles here fits the bill yet again.
Being by crack Japanese sire Deep Impact out of an Invincible Spirit mare is hardly a formula for a lung-bursting three-mile event, but he has shown a couple of times over two and a half miles that this test could suit and this is only his fifth start over timber.
15:00 Pontefract – Sea Of Roses
River of Stars has undoubtedly the best form in the race in this feature Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes, but I just wonder whether this mile and a half, as stiff as it is, may well be too sharp for her. Her close-up fifth to Coltrane over an extended two miles in the Lonsdale Stakes last year represents, by some way, the best piece of form of offer here, but with Ching Seh continuing to disappoint Andrew Balding’s filly may well be able to take advantage.
SEA OF ROSES’ last two runs in Listed company at Goodwood have been miles apart. Last time out I thought that Oisin Murphy made too much use of her when she faded late on behind Isle of Jura over an insufficient mile and a quarter. Previously, she had battled on really well to run Gather Ye Rosebuds to three and a half lengths in the EBF Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes and a return to that form here may well be good enough to land the gold medal.
17:00 Pontefract – Hectic
This closing six furlong handicap looks a cracker with several of the 10 runners on very attractive marks after running below form of late. The most frustrating entry has to be Darkness who keeps on flattering to deceive in his races, the last of which was a one-paced third behind Finn’s Charm at Goodwood. The assessor has dropped him a further pound to a mark of 84 here and it could be that this stiffer track will be more to his liking.
But an even better-treated horse is the four-year-old HECTIC who was racing off a rating as high as 93 less than a year ago but has gone some 14 races since without troubling the judge.
However, this season there have been some positive signs that his turn is just around the corner with a couple of good runs at York on either side of a cracking run at Doncaster, all over seven furlongs. Set to race off just 79 here, I will be hugely surprised and disappointed if the bay gelding isn’t involved in the finish this afternoon.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
14:10 Ffos Las – Western
14:48 Hexham – Toscan Genius
15:00 Pontefract – Sea Of Roses
17:00 Pontefract – Hectic
*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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