Beverley Bullet 3.15

It’s a rather low-key Saturday with few opportunities to tackle big-field handicaps. Of the higher profile races, this listed contest is the one to catch my eye. 

 

The ‘Beverley Bullet’ is run over 5 furlongs and this year has attracted a field of 12 runners. This sprint course at the East Yorkshire track is uphill all the way to the line. The race starts in a chute just beyond the home turn and then there is a dogleg to the right halfway up the straight which has resulted in a pronounced draw bias towards low number stalls. The draw, therefore, is always a key factor when considering 5 furlongs here. 

 

This looks to be a cracking renewal this year with the winners of the last two runnings of the race both lining up. We were lucky enough to tip JUDICIAL when he won this in 2019 and he is the current early market leader following his win at Chester, over 6 furlongs, earlier this month. He is not getting any younger, at the age of 9, but enjoyed a fruitful year last season and his win on The Roodee shows he is still in love with his racing. Connections feel he needs some juice in the ground these days to be at his most effective, so drying ground may not be ideal, and he does have to concede weight all round here but he is the top rated horse and has a decent draw in stall 5. He’s the track record holder here and is sure to run a good race. 

 

Just behind JUDICIAL at Chester was last year’s winner of this event and that was DAKOTA GOLD. He is another who enjoyed a productive 2020, following an even better 2019, although it did take him a few runs to really get into form. That seems to be the case with Michael Dods’ 7 year-old as 12 of his 13 career wins have come after the last week in July. A good many of his wins have also come with some ease in the ground so he is another who may not be at his best on the likely quicker going here. His record at this level is very good, however, with 5 wins from his 10 runs in listed class with a further 3 places. Has to be taken seriously. 

 

Aside from the past two winners there are a couple of other horses in here with winning form at the track. The first is TARBOOSH who is one of two entries for Paul Midgley. This 8 year-old has won twice over course-and-distance but has been well beaten in this race in the past 2 years. He has won a couple of times on fast ground but he is another who is probably better on good-to-soft going. He has been largely below par so far this season but his run last time out at Nottingham was more encouraging. 

 

The other previous winner over course-and-distance is actually a perfect 3/3 here and that is SHOW YOURSELF. The 3 year-old filly has gained all 3 wins this season and they are her last 3 outings. They are, also, the only 3 wins of her career and each time she was ridden by today’s jockey Stefano Cherchi (the only 3 occasions he has ridden the horse). Both horse and jockey have, therefore, clearly adapted well to the course but those wins all came in lower-class handicaps so this is a big step up. She has made all in each of her wins and looks sure to be one of several up with the early pace here. 

 

Another horse likely to be prominent early on is JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE and he has what looks to be the plum draw in stall 1. He won the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon two weeks ago and, although that was over 6f, this is a stiff 5f and all his best form, generally, is over the minimum trip. Prior to his win last time, he had been rather disappointing this term but connections claimed that first-time blinkers sparked the improvement. They are retained here and, although having a lot to find on the ratings, he could make a bold bid from his favourable draw if making a swift break. He has shown a tendency to get upset in the stalls in the past and has, on occasion, missed the break after rearing at the start. He can’t afford to do that here but, if breaking ok, he could run a big race at decent odds. 

 

Another who is likely to be up with the early pace is Karl Burke’s 3 year-old SIGNIFICANTLY. This consistent colt has only finished out of the frame on 3 occasions in his 14 runs so far in his career and one of those came last time out at Ascot  when he was slowly away and then raced away from the main body of horses for much of the race. Prior to that he had some very good form, finishing 2^nd to decent sorts in Creative Force and Dragon Symbol before winning at Royal Ascot over this trip and backing that up with another victory back there in mid-July when beating 3 of today’s opponents. He looks to be drawn well for one who likes to race prominently but this does demand more and he is worse off at the weights with all the others who opposed him that day at Ascot. 

 

One of those behind SIGNIFANTLY at Ascot was HURRICANE IVOR and he was beaten just a short-head on that occasion. He is now 6lbs better off here and comes here after a very decent run last time out at York. Not for the first time this season, he was a little unlucky given he was bumped early in the race and then found himself a little short of room 2f out. He was involved in a controversial incident at Sandown four runs ago when, officially at least, dead-heating for 1^st place despite clearly looking the winner and, then, was drawn on the unfavoured side when just losing out to SIGNIFICANTLY in that race at Ascot. He finished well clear of the others on his side of the track and it was a performance that could probably be marked up. He looks to have been done few favours with the draw again here but it could be telling that Tom Marquand comes here to take the ride for William Haggas and he may be able to drop the horse in and come with a late run wide and over the top of the early pace-setters. 

 

Finishing 4th in that race at Ascot was TIS MARVELLOUS and he comes here looking to improve on his 5^thplace finish in the race 2 years ago when sent off as favourite. That was his only run at this course and the 7 year-old is a bit of an Ascot specialist who is best on fast ground. He is a horse who likes a fast pace so this race should be run to suit whilst the ground is also in his favour. 

 

LAMPANG was sent off as favourite for the Great St Wilfrid a fortnight ago but, not for the first time, he blew his chance with a tardy start. That was over 6 furlongs so it’s something he certainly can’t afford to do over this 5f trip. He is, however, quite a classy performer as he showed when winning at Hamilton in June and he also seems best on quick ground. If he does break on terms, he looks well berthed in stall 2. 

In addition to SHOW YOURSELF, James Tate has a second runner entered here in the shape of WISE WORDS. This 5 year-old mare has run in several listed contests this season but is yet to get her head in front at this level. Her last run was a creditable one when finishing 2^nd in France and has, also, finished 4^thand 2^nd in listed events at Ayr and Bath this season. She clearly has ability but her hold-up style does leave her as a hostage to fortune sometimes and she has been denied clear runs on a couple of occasions in the past year, notably when finishing 4^th at Doncaster, behind TARBOOSH and DAKOTA GOLD, last September but also at Ayr in June. She faces a stiff task here and her trainer has not had a winner for 3 weeks now. 

 

Karl Burke is another with 2 entries and his second one is DANDALLA. This 3 year-old filly won a couple of group races last season, winning her first 3 starts, before finding the Cheveley Park Stakes a bridge too far last September. Connections have tried to step up her in trip this season but without success so they are bringing her back to race at the minimum distance for the first time since her racecourse debut last year. She has been racing a little too keenly over further so this drop in trip may not be a bad idea. 

 

At the time of writing, the complete outsider of the field is Paul Midgley’s second entry OSTILIO. He was a very good performer over 7 furlongs and a mile for his former stable but has largely struggled since transferring to Paul Midgley late last year. He was a Group 2 winner for previous connections so clearly has ability but he hasn’t really looked like a sprinter yet and may find things happening too quickly again. He was well behind HURRICANE IVOR last time at York and finds himself 6lbs worse off here. 

 

This definitely looks like a good renewal of this race and the two previous winners are probably worthy of their positions at the head of the market. Of the two, I just prefer the claims of DAKOTA GOLD but, with doubts about the ground for him, I am willing to overlook the top of the market in favour of a couple at bigger each-way prices – especially with a smattering of enhanced places available. 

 

TIS MARVELLOUS is in good form at present and will relish the likely quick conditions here but, at a similar price, I prefer the claims of HURRICANE IVOR, despite his high draw. The stats suggest you need to be drawn low but it is not impossible to win from higher and Tom Marquand, who won on his only ride at the track in the last 5 years, is as good as any around right now and will hopefully have a plan to overcome the draw. This is a stiff 5 furlongs, similar to Sandown where he ran so well earlier in the season and this horse could be a future group performer. I'm sure with a lower draw he would probably be favourite.

 

Over the other side of the draw I was immediately drawn to the claims of JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE. If he can make another smart break from the gate, as he did at Ripon, he could take some pegging back against the far rail. He has something to find on ratings but should appreciate the ground and this has been a good race for those racing prominently in recent years. His price offers some decent each-way value with the enhanced places available.