Bank Holiday Thursday 2nd June

 

A major race that's usually held on Whitsun Bank Holiday Monday.

 

A competitive field as always for this race so let's look at the main contenders.

 

Lightening Company for Ben Haslam is a worthy favourite but upped in trip and with some significant pace and prominent runners around I think this will be truly run from the off and not a tactical dawdle. Stay Well, does stay well and drops back to 10 furlongs, it usually runs prominently, gets Stall 1 and could run well from there. It's one to consider for a "win saver" if you wish, punters discretion. I can't see many to beat it but I can see a few!

 

Barishnikov is in form, winning last twice off marks of 86 and 91, it's finished 5th in this in the past off a mark of 84 so a mark today of 94 does look like the handicapper may just have blunted the chances a little. Pride of America has form figures of 1-2-1 off a 477 day break and won with plenty in hand at Chester last time. From the progressive Amy Murphy yard it cannot be discounted but its gone from a mark of 79 to 83 and now a whopping rise to 92, my head says that it's another in form horse like Baryshnikov that the handicapper may just have nobbled for now!

 

Turntable seems to reserve its best runs for The Rowley mIle but could be a threat if taking to this Course, and at a big price is COCKALORUM, I tipped this last time when it pulled up quickly at York after running quite prominently. It won on the equivalent Card here in 2021 in another race over course and distance off a mark of 91, and but for that PU last time would I suggest be about 14-16/1 here with place runs off marks up to 99. IF its healthy and ready a mark of 95 looks a bit lenient and at the price I'll definitely have a small exchange wager!

 

I was left with 3 being HIGHWAYGREY who seems out of form in comparison to stablemate Bollin Joan but who was 4th in this race last year off a mark of 89 and was unlucky in running and could have been much closer. It has dropped to a mark of 78 and looks very interesting with a few runs under its belt. I did look very closely at Bollin Joan and FOREST FALCON as those pair fought out a close finish last time, I just prefer FOREST FALCON here on 4lbs better terms, the Johnston horse with Fanning up looks likely to make a run off or near the front and with wins off 81 and 86 and running off 90 here it looks slightly better equipped than Bollin Joan who has won its last 2 off marks of 85 and 88, runs off 92 here and gives FOREST FALCON 4lbs for a nod, and who despite a Course and Distance win back in 2018 here, has had some very poor runs over Course and Distance before.

 

I'll leave the win saver on Stays Well to you and will focus on-:

 

 

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This doesn't seem anything like as competitive as The Zetland Cup race.

 

We tipped Rocket Dancer to win last time out at 6/1 and it's favourite here, upped in trip and up 4lbs, we noted Motorajel in that same race who was a runner up at 18/1 and that too is upped in trip. There are stamina niggles about both as this is a 5 furlong run in and does place an emphasis on staying, so today we'll leave them off the investment list but fear both naturally.

 

Marie Paradis has been a runner up and winner off a mark of 54 recently on the AW but its hard to quantify the mark on turf so I'm happy to oppose. Beryl Burton who has a win at the trip off 49 will be a danger but is 5lbs above that win mark. Dr Rio is very well handicapped on plenty of AW form and looks to be running into some form, this one just missed the final cut.

 

There seems to be a fair bit of deadwood at massive prices but the price of the wily old HIGHLAND REEL catches the eye for a couple of quid on the exchanges. Versatile from 6 furlongs to 10 furlongs and one who can pop up in to a place when conditions are right, it's not the horse it was but still better than many at that end of the market and worth a fun bet.

 

The pair I most like at their odds which do look significant value are BUFORD who won at this trip for Grant Tuer who has campaigned the horse recent over further. It's switched to Mark Walford whose yard is going well enough and he immediately goes back down to 10 furlongs and having won at the trip off a mark of 61 just last August, the booking of Danny Tudhope and a mark of 57 looks appealing enough. PHOTOGRAPH is a Course winner at a mile who gets this trip well enough its 5lbs below its Course winning mark and they go for blinkers to just focus the horse and they would only need to make a small impact to make the early price look excellent value.

 

 

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A few in here may need a bit more rain than is likely to fall.

 

TRUE BLUE MOON looks very solid as a win saver bet at your discretion, it may need a bit of rain but no excuses at all even on Goog Going.

 

Rose Bandit is very solid off this mark but has a nagging tendency to always find a couple too good, The Gloaming may be better at 5 furlongs, especially up a hill as tough as Hamilton, most of the rest don't really inspire great confidence.

 

I particularly like KATS BOB though, who won over Course and Distance on its penultimate run, didn't really appreciate a run over further at Ayr since, but comes back here not over-penalised and who looks solid in the context of the race. SOMEWHERE SECRET is competitive off marks between 60 and 65, rain need a bit of rain but off a mark of 63 is one who is suggesting its running in to form and it's turn is near. I'll be disappointed if both don't place at the very least.

 

If you wanted one at big odds it would be KILCONQUER who has some Course and Distance winning form off 52, has done well on the AW and somewhat exposed its mark, up to 68, but in a competitive race does look to be some value IF it can transfer the AW mark back to a turf track that at least we know it has winning form on!

TRACKER - Kats Bob + Somewhere Secret (exchange few quid on Kilconquer)