DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27
3.45 LUDLOW
The abandonment of Wincanton on Monday means GAYE LEGACY (NAP) (best price 11-4) comes here as an alternative and as things have panned out, it looks an even better opportunity for her to improve significantly on her opening gambit at Sandown.
Tom Symonds’ mare was rather thrown to the wolves on her first outing for 311 days but despite being up against a competitive field full of in-form stayers, she kept on bravely to finish a respectable fourth behind the likes of Red Dirt Road, Henri The Second and Goshen.
Interestingly, looking at the data from her run at the Esher venue, the numbers reveal she ran by some way a career best and with today’s race seemingly a much easier one on paper, a run of a similar standard should see her a big player back among her own sex under conditions that will suit.
GAYE LEGACY – 1-point win@11-4
4.10 TAUNTON
GAZETTE BOURGEOISE (best price 9-2) immediately put herself behind the eight ball with a sluggish start at Fakenham last time out and providing she has a shade more motivation in the early stages here today, there’s a decent chance Ben Case’s mare of being a bigger feature in this easier race on paper.
The daughter of Spanish Moon became another victim of those dreaded standing starts at the Norfolk track when she, along with several others shied away from the tapes crashing back against the plastic rails and, in a race where she could ill afford to give an inch against a rival who was bombing along at a rapid rate up front, she had little chance of playing catch up.
To her great credit, however, she stuck to the task at hand willingly on the last circuit to finish a respectable fourth and with the winner, Telepathique, going on to boost the form at listed level next time, her performance can be rated a little higher than it appeared at the time.
A cosy winner previously on her first outing post wind surgery, a repeat of that level of form/speed figure should be good enough to see her competitive against today’s rivals and she deserves to be played accordingly at her morning odds.
GAZETTE BOURGEOISE – 1-point win@9-2