Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Haggas has excellent record at Musselburgh
William Haggas doesn’t have many runners at Musselburgh, but an overall strike rate of 36% at the track means you need to take note when he does, and Fine Art Dealer looks interesting in the 100% RacingTV Profits Back To Racing Selling Stakes (14:22).
His sales price increased every time he went through the ring, purchased for 75,000 guineas at the breeze-ups earlier this year, and he showed ability without threatening the principals on his debut at Windsor last month.
He showed improved form when finishing third at Yarmouth a week later, seeing his race out better than he had on debut, keeping on well in the closing stages. That form is working out well, too, the winner going on to win at listed event on Saturday, while the well-bred runner-up also won in good style next time.
Fine Art Dealer drops into selling company now and, though he doesn’t stand out at the weights based on what he’s achieved so far, he is one of the least exposed in this field, and the ‘Timeform small p’ attached to his rating signifies he’s open to further improvement. The step up to seven furlongs will also suit and he must be a big player.
Bowood can end losing run
The Racing TV Handicap (16:10) at Kempton is a modest, but open race in which the Ivan Furtado-trained Bowood looks well prepared to end a losing run.
His last win came a little over a year ago when he was completing a hat-trick at Nottingham from a BHA mark of 67 and his in-and-out form so far this year has resulted in him tumbling down the weights from a peak perch of 82 to now being 2lb below his last winning mark.
Bowood also caught the eye returned to the all-weather at Southwell 16 days ago, too, strong in the betting and running his best race for a while. A slow start put him on the backfoot, but he moved into contention in the style of a horse on his way back to form, keeping on in the closing stages but unable to get on terms with the in-form, thriving winner.
He was given the Horse In Focus Flag for that performance, marking him out as a horse to look out for given how well handicapped he’s become. There isn’t as much depth to this handicap and he looks poised to strike.
Well-bred Itraaq can open his account
The winningpost.co.uk Free Racing Tips Handicap (16:30) at Yarmouth could develop into a clash between improving three-year-olds Itraaq and Ethelwulf, with preference for the former.
She has an excellent pedigree, the fourth foal out of very smart Jazzi Top, herself a half-sister to Pretty Polly Stakes winner Izzi Top, and Itraaq has looked a work in progress in four starts so far.
Itraaq has been well enough found in the market on each occasion, but was especially well backed on her handicap debut at Sandown last month. She was unable to improve on what she’d already shown, but that came on heavy ground, while she also wasn’t best placed, either.
She was held up in a race where the winner made all of the running and the runner-up wasn’t far behind, which made it very hard for Itraaq to make up ground in testing conditions. There should be even more to come from her, particularly now tackling a mile and a half for the first time.
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