Sunday’s Previews
Sunday’s Previews
All the runners, riders and race previews for Sunday’s seven-race card, including a clash of speedsters in the day’s feature and the return to action of BC Derby third BOITANO in the day’s 6th race.
A good opportunity for SILK STILETTOS to finally get her head in front after running well on several occasions this term, including a recent near miss over today’s distance. KEEPINGTHEDREAM is a credit to connections and a model of consistency and it will be interesting to see how he handles this first career attempt at 8 1/2 furlongs. If it suits, he should be thereabouts again. BARNEY GOOGLE, meanwhile, has the addded advantage of leading rider Amedeo Perez in the saddle today, which is a pointer in itself.
GUNS N AMMO sits on a hat-trick of wins here and looks the one to beat following his narrow victory over Jacobs Call last time. However, he will have to handle the class-dropping MR QUALITY who has won and performed well this term in marginally deeper waters than he faces today. KLONDIKE GENTLEMAN put in his best performance of the season last time and a repetition of that second-place finish, with today’s rival KNOPFLER behind, can put him close.
HARBOUR STORM has run well at this level without getting her head in front at the line and this represents her best opportunity so far to break her maiden. The barn is also in good form at present, which certainly helps. SOLANDER showed signs of life last time despite being disqualified and if he shows just a little progression again can be a factor here. CATTITUDE continues to confound supporters but has run well enough over the distance in better class than this and has to go on the shortlist.
Hard to look beyond FLORIDA GATOR here, who sits on a hat-trick of wins and who beat the useful Mount Asgard with the minimum of fuss last time. The lightly-raced SHARPZAN was rallying behind Florida Gator a fortnight ago and is still improving, while HANKY PRANKY got within a half-length of the favourite two starts ago and should be involved in the business end again.
BOLD ARCH is one of the fastest horses at Hastings and the perennial front-runner should take plenty of stopping again in a fascinating clash. The well-named BE QUICK is another who prefers to be at the front of the train and could easily be a fly in the ointment if he and Bold Arch become embroiled in a row over who leads. SIR BREGOVIC may also want the lead and a three-way tussle could play into the hands of SYNERGY, SLEW’S BACK and CASCADE BILLY. You pays your money, you takes your choice.
BOITANO didn’t have the best of journeys in the BC Derby and still ran a creditable third. The former Godolphin performer, who was brought in from Florida by current connections, may have the class to handle this. AYELLOWROSEOFTEXAS and the lightly-raced and improving VIVA LA VINO both ran well behind Kloepatra in last month’s BC Oaks and can give the likely favourite most concern, while DOUBLE SAW ran well when stepped up in distance last time behind the useful Stormy Blue.
SHE’S ON FIRE may only have had the single run so far, but a repeat of that third-place finish to KEEPINGTHEDREAM and Harbour Storm could easily be enough to get the job done in a moderate affair. CAROLINA GENT has had some hard luck stories but also plenty of chances. At his best he’d be close to a lock here. JERSEY’S IMAGE makes his career debut but probably wouldn’t need to be much above average to feature at the business end.
Mike and Drew’s Picks
