Wetherby 7.00

NORTH - Wetherby 7.00 Handicap - Class 5 - 1 mile - Going Good (no real rain on forecast)

 

It seems a bit strange to recall that there has only been Flat racing at this venue since 2015. It's established itself as a fair track, it suits most types and although there is a benefit in being drawn Low on the Round Course there is plenty of chance to ride tactically and to swing wider off the bend into the long straight.

 

There is an awful lot of AW form to cloud the picture here and also a few with turf form whose best is in softer conditions. It's most likely to be genuinely Good ground, so it looks like a race to have a more speculative punt and a couple at nice prices catch my eye and as I've been told this will be the only tip race today, we'll have a good delve.

 

At the top end of the market Clear Angel would appear far more suited so far to the synthetic surfaces, Sandret comes off a 228 day break and may need the run, Frankello and Gainsbourg would ideally like more cut and rain to fall.

 

I really narrowed my short list down to 5 horses and fear Green Kodiak especially, it's better on the turf, ran well enough on seasonal debut and will come on for it and I can see it being in the first 5-6 home but there were just a few who I thought were more value. Perfect Swiss is the other one i just discarded late, it's coming down to a nice mark now it ran too freely on seasonal debut and will benefit from being less fizzy, my main concern is that drawn in stall 16 it'll take all of David Allen's tactical skills to navigate a path past others down the straight, unless it pings the stall and gets a good early position but that might have the negative effect of lighting the horse up again. I think it's a horse who when below a mark of 70 with a kinder drw looks sure to win races so I'll definitely add it to my Tracker .

 

The most fancied are HEADINGLEY despite the price, its won off marks of 82-83-85 at this trip, mainly on AW but very well handicapped off a mark of 75 and a recent turf run won't have done it any harm. At the price I like it a lot as an each way punt. ARCADIAN NIGHTS is drawn 2 for an in-form Yard and although better so far on the AW it's off a very competitive Flat Turf marke and ideally drawn, I'd be confident of a place at least. IT JUST TAKES TIME is maybe the most speculative.  Its run mostly at 6 furlongs and a few times at 7 furlongs but the Sire was a mile specialist. It has wins off marks of 63 and 67 so some ability but has always been handicapped by slow starts over shorter distances. It is a horse well used to picking off tiring runners and often been doing it's best work late on. Its certainly worth a bash at this trip and I'm confident that IF it stays a mile off a slowish pace it could outrun these Odds considerably.

 

If any of the 3 selections are non-runners, the reserve will be PERFECT SWISS.