Friday Night Previews
The start of summer means a return to Friday night racing at Hastings, with six races headlined by a valuable Allowance contest
Representing the in-form Maybin/Mamdeen team, FLYING MISS can complete the hat-trick here following two wins in similar company. LICORICE takes a little class relief and a repeat close to any of her three efforts this season would make her a big danger, while CARLA’S HONOR had TEXAS HUMOR just behind her when chasing home Jersey Lillie last time and is definitely in the mix again tonight.
DEPUTY’S DANCER is probably best judged on his excellent second to Knopfler on opening day. Both subsequent efforts came on a wet track and, despite that, he wasn’t beaten far when fading late last time. The impressively-consistent veteran PADDY D’ORO has missed the board just twice in his previous ten outings and that looks unlikely to be any different tonight, while EYE BE SEEING you remains a big threat if there is enough pace for him to run at. If there isn’t, then FOOT SOLDIER may be the main beneficiary.
This looks like the perfect spot for DREAMB, who has finished no further back than second in eight of her previous ten starts. She lost a ding-dong battle with Curlin Rocks by just a head last time and will be the one they have to beat. LOLA M steps back down to the level she won at two starts ago (with QUALITY COMMAND behind in third) and can probably be forgiven her lacklustre effort last time when she was sympathetically ridden once her chance had gone.
ON MY GOOD SIDE was beaten just a head the last, and only, time he ventured this far and a repeat of that effort last September might just be good enough to break his maiden at the 13th attempt. By contrast, MYGIRLLILLY makes her first attempt at the mile-and-sixteenth course on just her fourth career start and may have more upside than some of her more exposed rivals. Second in both her most recent starts, NU BLEND had NOZOMI behind in both those efforts and looks best of the rest.
Beaten less than a length in total when twice a runner-up in similar contests, SNAP TO IT can get the job done in what looks, on paper at least, to be a slightly less onerous challenge. The biggest threat my be stablemate TOUCH THE SUN who, despite looking a little green on just his second lifetime start, still managed to win authoritatively. Any small improvement on that wet-surface effort would put him firmly in the picture. NEWHART had an interrupted campaign last season but has put together three solid efforts already this term and wouldn’t need to improve too much to play a major role tonight.
Hard to look too far beyond MAX BOOSTER, who is a “winner” against maidens following an intervention by the stewards after his narrow “victory” over Gem Dancer last time. FLOYD was definitely knocked a little off stride when on the inside of Gem Dancer and MAX BOOSTER in that contest and, with only two career starts to his name, may have more improvement to come, while BOBBY ROCK didn’t appear to have the most straightforward of races last time when coming up against a couple of smart performers. This looks more manageable and he can be a lot closer tonight.
Lisa & Mike’s Friday Night Picks
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Hastings Racing Club
