York 6.40

NORTHERN - York 6.40 Handicap - Class 4 - 6 furlongs - 18 run - Soft - probably puddling like G/S by the start

 

A big field but most at the bottom end of the market would normally ply their trade in Class 5 and 6 races.

 

A fair few Course and Distance specialists as you'd expect and a few who may not really appreciate the underfoot conditions.

 

Having discarded the market leader cooperation who might just need the run after being freshened up and Ramiro who ran last night at Yarmouth and Le Beau Garcon who may be better at shorter, Sir Maxi who may be better at further, Little Muddy who despite a career best run last time may find this a bit too deep quality wise, I was left with a shortlist of 6 of the 18 runners.

 

I just left Manila Scouse out of the investments; one who is from the Tim Easterby Yard and well drawn possibly in Stall 3, I'd noted before it ran recently at Ayr that I thought 5 furlongs may suit this one best and there are a few here who I simply think will finish the race better. The other one I left out at a big price but one I will TRACK is Tyger Bay, it's not run at York before as far as I can see, but has plenty of soft ground form at 6 furlongs around some of the southern Tracks and it just caught my eye as being possibly overpriced and off a very nice mark. If there is a non runner early in the follow four, it would be a shrapnel e/w reserve.

 

I think this race is set up for the likes of OSO RAPIDO draw 5 and made eye-catching late progress last time here and should now be fully primed off a decent pace. The booking of Oisin Murphy boosts confidence. ROUNDHAY PARK gets a 3lbs penalty for a nice win last time over Course and Distance and is usually very reliable here and still below its last win mark, Stall 12 might not be an advantage but neither is it a penalty so I'll wager on it going very close again. MUSCIKA is 5 lbs better off with Roundhay Park for just under 3 lengths on that run at the last meeting here and this Course and Distance winner will welcome a lack of rain and any drying out but has run well enough in the likely conditions before. I'll have some shrapnel to extended places on that one together with ASADJUMERIAH who has been in decent form when running on turf in recent times despite being moved more to AW surfaces. Its got some decent turf form here and drawn 13 gives me a bit of a tactical Gate spread.