Sunday’s racing tips

14:20 Leopardstown – Chantez
14:25 Plumpton – I’m Your Buckaroo
15:25 Newcastle – Miners Gamble
18:45 Newcastle – Willem Twee

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

The market will most likely be made here by the beautifully bred Bella Isabella following her hugely impressive maiden success at Cork last month. This daughter of Wootton Bassett travelled incredibly well through that 7f contest and then when asked for her effort lengthened in style under Chris Hayes. Of course she is entitled to come on a bundle for that run and will obviously be a force here in this Group Three affair. However, I am prepared to give the Ger Lyons trained CHANTEZ another chance after everything went against her on her three-year-old debut.

The bay filly was nicely progressive as a juvenile ending with a really smooth success in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes over this course and distance. You can almost consign her three-year-old debut at the Curragh to the bin as she was hugely unruly in the stalls and then when she got back on an even keel she had to race from the back of the pack off a moderate pace. She could not never get competitive. Her astute trainer has put the hood on for the first time to get her to relax, both going down to the start and in the race itself. She can bounce back here and possibly book a spot in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the end of the month.

This looks very competitive for the level for a Class 5 extended three mile handicap hurdle and looks wide open with 11 set to go to post. Top weight Flintara takes a significant drop in grade and even at the age of 10 the daughter of Kayf Tara has to be in your calculations if she returns to her very best form.

Proper Twelve has been running over shorter of late, but this quicker ground helps on his return to this stamina-sapping trip, while the well treated Ted’s Friend is possibly the best handicapped horse in the field and another going back up in trip.

All of that trio are rightly respected, but the call simply has to be the Gary and Josh Moore runner I’M YOUR BUCKAROO. The five-year-old will not be a massive price, but I loved the way that he shaped over 2m3f behind Decorated at Fontwell Park last time out. This is his first run over this kind of trip, but shapes as if he needs it and there is surely plenty more improvement to come from this youngster.

This looked a fascinating 1m 2f Class 4 handicap (first division) and several of these have failed to produce on the back of some previously good runs. The handicap range is from 78 (the disappointing Londoner) to 58 and the bottom weight, Idyllic. In between those two, you could give a major chance to Hosanna Power who has been given a real chance by the handicapper and hails from the in-form Tim Easterby yard.

I have plumped for the Brian Ellison-trained MINERS GAMBLE now that he returns to his favoured surface. Placed off a rating of 63 here in January (never nearer third) he has had two fair runs over hurdles since and was then well punted when a 7/2 favourite for a 10 furlong event at Doncaster at the opening turf meeting of the season. He paid for running keenly early on at the back of the field, weakening badly from the distance. A mark of 62 looks very playable with the in-form Harry Davies taking over from an apprentice. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were well supported again.

The most valuable race of the day has quite rightly attracted a really competitive field of 14 runners with six course and distance winners. One of those half dozen, Badri, will be very popular off bottom weight following a never-nearer fifth at Southwell last time out. He has been dropped 1lb in the weights to a rating of 89.

The likes of Sergeant Wilko (all the better for his first run back) and Germanic (possibly wants a stiffer test) are also on my shortlist and neither would be a surprise winner. But looking for slightly better value I have fallen on the side of the Newmarket raider.

WILLEM TWEE is still relatively lightly raced for a six-year-old, with only 19 career starts. This is slightly easier company for him than of late. Last year the James Fanshawe trained runner won a Wolverhampton handicap off a mark of 106 after running Montassib to a length and a quarter in the Group Three Chipchase Stakes over the course and distance. A close up sixth in the All Weather Sprint Handicap last month, he has again been blessed with a nice draw in stall 12. I’ll take him to cut down the front runners inside the distance.

Today’s racing tips

14:20 Leopardstown – Chantez
14:25 Plumpton – I’m Your Buckaroo
15:25 Newcastle – Miners Gamble
18:45 Newcastle – Willem Twee

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.


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