After a little wobble of results, we’re taking a trip to Merseyside to pick things up again, and I’ve opted for a lovely filly running at Haydock this afternoon. She comes from great stock, has had some promising runs recently and the ever-drying track should really suit her. In a 10-runner field, she’s a great price in what is a fairly open looking race.
I am predicting a big race and a big year from this four-year-old filly. She is the first foal of a mare that progressed from an official mark of 57 (Racing Post Rating, or RPR), as a three-year-old, to 110 for this same yard. I know she is a year older but she is lightly-raced and her Dam, Spinatrix, is a very tough mare. She took a major step forward around this stage of her career (her 9th start) so I’m hopeful the selection is about to do the same.
TWIST OF HAY has a seriously good sprint pedigree and already has some decent form in the book, finishing 3rd to Art Power & 4th to Zim Baby last summer. She then won a 15-runner similar Class 5 handicap to this, on good ground, over today’s 6f trip at Redcar last September on her return from wind surgery and a 78-day break. She returned again from a wind operation and a 54-day break at Carlisle eight days ago where she finished a respectable running-on 3.25 lengths. There, in a better race than this, after being slowly away, and being a little short of room around the furlong pole, she hung a little right-handed late on and finished fifth of seven.
She will be fitter here on her third start of the season. This is her second run since that wind operation, she is down in class and the application of first-time cheek-pieces should help keep her straight. The Michael Dods yard have been among the winners recently (last 14 day strike rate: 7-41, 17%), and the first-time booking of the talented Clifford Lee (5-21, 24%) is a nice bonus. She ticks plenty of boxes, but I actually think the key to her today will be the faster ground she will encounter here with drying conditions at the track. She should get a pace to aim at before coming with a late run and looks well-worth an each way interest in this 10-runner race chock-full of more exposed rivals.
I had this three-year-old gelding tipped each way at 9/1 when he finished a length 3rd of nine over this trip at Wolverhampton just four days ago. He looked well-handicapped having dropped 17lb down the weights since February and he runs off the same mark here. He is likely not to be far away, but he is better on the All-Weather so I’m hoping he will prove vulnerable back on turf.
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