Andrew Asquith's two Wednesday night tips won - don't miss the two horses he's keen to follow in the near future.
Two horses who caught the eye on the clock
Global Asset is a horse who has seemingly been brought along with handicaps in mind, starting a big price and in much need of the experience on his debut over seven furlongs at Newmarket last month, and again not unduly punished over six furlongs at Newcastle just eight days later.
He was easy to back on his latest run at Lingfield, but he caught the eye in more ways than one, showing improved form (again without being given a hard time) and also meeting some trouble in the closing stages. When taking sectionals into account, that performance can be marked up even further, running the last two furlongs faster than all of his rivals which earned him a 15 lb sectional upgrade by Timeform.
Global Asset is now qualified for handicaps and has been allotted a BHA mark of 70. He has no future entries as yet, but is very much one to look out for, sure to win races from that sort of mark, while the stamina on the dam’s side of his pedigree and the way he shapes suggests he will have no problem staying further than six furlongs.
South Dakota Sioux is another horse to put in your Sporting Life My Stable tracker. He is just a fair handicapper, but managed to win a couple of handicaps for David O’Meara, and he made an encouraging start for new trainer John Butler at Lingfield towards the end of November.
That was just a run-of-the-mill handicap, but the winner was particularly well treated on the pick of her form, and South Dakota Sioux ran a race full of promise to finish third from a trick draw, not at all given a hard time and running on all the way to the line coming from further back than the two who finished in front of him.
That performance also caught the eye on the clock, recording the fastest closing sectional (two furlongs) and only he and the winner broke 22 seconds. South Dakota Sioux was awarded a 16 lb sectional upgrade by Timeform and has since been drop 1 lb by the handicapper to a BHA mark of 63. He is a horse to look out for in the coming weeks in a similar event given he has joined a shrewd yard that do well with such types, particularly when the market speaks positively.
All-Weather Angle tips: Wednesday December 6
2pt win Elladonna in 7.00 Kempton at 3/1 (General)
1pt win Duke of Oxford in 8.00 Kempton at 11/2 (General)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
There is some good racing on the all-weather at both Lingfield and Kempton today and a horse I have been waiting to run again does so in a mile handicap for fillies at Kempton this evening.
The horse in question is ELLADONNA, who is trained by James Fanshawe and has shaped promisingly in each of her three starts so far. She travelled better than most on her debut over a mile and a quarter at Salisbury in May and wasn’t disgraced after a break over slightly further at this course when runner-up in October.
Elladonna really caught the eye on her qualifying run over an extended nine furlongs at Wolverhampton last time, though, and she appears to have been let into handicaps from a potentially lenient mark.
She failed to settle in the early stages that day in a race which was run at a modest gallop, but she made eye-catching headway out wide on the home turn, making a sweeping move round her rivals and looking the likeliest winner as she was produced to lead over a furlong from home.
Elladonna seemingly paid for her earlier exertions in the closing stages, however, not doing much once in front and perhaps failing for stamina, allowing two of her rivals to pass her close home. She has shown that she has plenty of ability and her strong-travelling style will continue to lend itself wll to all-weather racing, while the drop down to a mile for the first time may well be the making of her.
There are several in this field who like to race prominently – or who have gone forward in the past – so hopefully there will be a good gallop for her to aim at and she is able to drop in and get a nice position from her wide draw.
I fully expect her to travel into this race in style and her finishing kick should be seen to better effect over this shorter distance. She is favourite at the time of writing, but I did think she would be a little shorter in the betting, so I’m keen to get her on side from a mark which may underestimate her.
I am also interested in the Michael Bell-trained DUKE OF OXFORD who goes in the valuable Final of the stayers’ series later on the card. He has progressed well this year, winning three times, and he recorded a career-best effort when beating the reopposing Zoran by a head in a qualifier for this over course and distance last month.
That was Duke of Oxford’s first try at two miles and he was clearly well suited by the longer trip, settled nicely in midfield and always looking like picking those in front of him up after he was angled out for a run around two furlongs out.
He quickened up well off what was only a modest pace and arguably won with a bit in hand from Zoran and the well-backed third, who were more prominent throughout the race and in a good position to strike. Duke of Oxford was by no means all out to win, suggesting he has even more to offer, and he is totally unexposed at this trip.
He has seemingly always been held in some regard, contesting the Chester Vase on just his third career start and also taking in the valuable and ultra-competitive King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this year.
Duke of Oxford has been raised 3 lb, but will race from 1 lb out of the weights this evening, though that is negated by the 3 lb claim of Tyler Heard. Admittedly, this is a stronger race, so another career best will be needed, but Michael Bell remains in excellent form, and Duke of Oxford remains a horse to be positive about given his record on an artificial surface.
Preview posted at 0925 GMT on 06/12/2023
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