John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Impressive debut winner Wootz to follow up
There’s an eight-race card for Windsor’s final Monday meeting of the year and the mile novice (14:42) looks an interesting race, with a couple of last-time-out winners from top yards, both with the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag, going head to head.
William Haggas runs Song of The Clouds who has the slightly higher Timeform weight-adjusted rating of the pair. She was second in the Bridget Maiden Fillies’ Stakes for unraced fillies at Newbury in the spring, a race that has thrown up plenty of winners, and she was one herself when readily landing short odds next time in a novice at Redcar. She looks sure to improve but hasn’t run since that win in May and preference is for Roger Varian’s colt Wootz.
The son of Wootton Bassett didn’t make his debut until early last month at Ffos Las but plenty was expected of him, as he started at odds on, and he didn’t disappoint, making short work of his seven rivals as he powered clear off a steady gallop to win impressively by six and a half lengths, earning the ‘Sectional Timing’ flag, as well as the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Looking sure to improve, he looks capable of defying his penalty at the chief expense of Song of The Clouds.
Beny Nahar Road worth a chance off this mark
Sedgefield’s handicap hurdle over just short of two and a half miles (16:00) sees another meeting between William Yeats and Aimeric who quickened clear from the last when finishing one-two over course and distance 17 days ago. Both are entitled to go well again, with Aimeric a couple of pounds better off at the weights with the winner this time.
But it could be worth taking a chance on Beny Nahar Road to beat them both from a slipping mark. Henry Hogarth’s gelding ran well from much higher marks over fences last season, and while he has yet to fire over hurdles this term, he’s potentially well handicapped if returning to some sort of form.
There are a couple of factors which might spark a rival. One is that he’s returning from another breathing operation, and the other is that Beny Nahar Road has run well on both his previous starts at Sedgefield. He was runner-up in a maiden hurdle here on his stable debut and registered a first career win when successful in a handicap chase at the track in the spring of last year. He also won again over fences at Southwell last summer, taking his BHA mark over the larger obstacles to 113, but he’s down to just 95 over hurdles now.
Eye-catching jockey booking for stable switcher Dragon God
There looks to be plenty of pace guaranteed in Windsor’s five-furlong contest (17:12) and that could set things up nicely for Dragon God who tends to come from a bit further back in his races and is making his debut for a new stable here.
Formerly with Tony Carroll, Dragon God has his first start for Newmarket trainer Jack Morland who has made an eye-catching jockey booking for his first start for the yard, with Billy Loughnane being called up for the ride.
It won’t be Loughnane’s first time aboard Dragon God, however, as he has partnered him before, both for his original trainer Charlie Hills and more recently for Tony Carroll. It was for the latter yard that Dragon God got off the mark at Yarmouth early last month when knuckling down well for a head win. He has finished a good third when tongue tied for both starts since and gave the impression he would have gone close with a clear run over course and distance three weeks ago. He got blocked in his run well inside the final furlong on that occasion in a race won by Faustus but has claims of turning the tables as he meets that rival on better terms here.
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