Monday, May 14, 2012

Listed race this evening at Windsor

5 meetings today, but nothing earth-shaking. The best race is the listed mile event at 20.10 CET at Windsor´s evening meeting with only 5 runners. Tullius (Andrew Balding/ Jimmy Fortune), who won a hot Newmarket handicap last time, is our selection to take this step up in grade successfully. He holds Memory Cloth (Brian Ellison/ Barry McHugh) on that form, and should also be too strong for KIng Torus (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) and the headstrong Skilful (John Gosden/ William Buick), 4th and 5th in a similar race at Kempton last time. Balding looks the trainer to follow at Windsor, as he hould also win the maiden race at 19.10 with the Queen´s Bank Bonus (Fortune) - it is not known if the owner will come down the hill from her castle to watch the race - and has good chances in the 3yo handicaps with Shot in the Dark (Liam Keniry) at 20.40 and Cades Reef (Fortune) at 21.10.

The afternoon cards at Redcar and Wolverhampton are very poor. We would not be surprised to see a couple of 10yo´s score at Redcar- Beckermet (Ruth Carr/ Dale Swift) at 15.30 and Zomerlust (John Quinn/ Matt O´Connell) half an hour later - although neither is a cast-iron certainty - and Ruth Carr also has a good chance at Wolverhampton with the 9yo Red Cape (James Sullivan) at 16.15, although we expect Arganil (Kevin Ryan/ Brian Toomey), a sprightly 7, to score here.

There is jumping this evening at Towcester and Killarney in Ireland, with bigger and better fields at the Irish track, where it is the second day of a 3-day meeting. Edward O Grady can win the two main events hrre, a hurdle race at 19.50 with German-bred Catch Me (Mark Walsh) and a handicap chase an hour later with Tranquil Sea (Barry Geraghty). The latter has to concede 20 lb or more to all his 13 opponents, but basically he is different class and should win accordingly.