DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
FRIDAY MAY 23
3.15 GOODWOOD
BESET (best price 4-1) represents a yard that don’t tend to waste too many bullets when bringing one over the Irish Sea and Joseph O’Brien’s filly, fresh off a smooth success at Sligo recently, is fancied to keep that trend going in a similar direction.
Having left Henry Candy’s stable on a high, new connections inherited a filly who had the potential to keep her upward curve heading in the same direction and based on the evidence from her latest exploits at the Cleveragh Road venue, she is fully entitled to have a crack at this stiffer test.
Had the gap over towards the far rail opened sooner, the daughter of Expert Eye would have won by a much wider margin but that fact it didn’t could well turn out to be a blessing in disguise as far as today’s race is concerned.
Given how strong she was at the finish of a well-run affair 19 days ago and her previous victory, today’s 1m4f is going to bring about further improvement and that theory is going to make her a potent threat to all her home-based rivals.
BESET – 1-point win@4-1
3.50 GOODWOOD
MEYDAAN (best price 8-1) shaped better than the bare result suggested over an inadequate trip at Ascot last time out and now racing over a more appropriate distance of ground, Simon & Ed Crisford’s inmate has bright prospects of backing up his course win from last season.
Having his first outing for 234 days and up against genuine specialist milers at the Berkshire venue, the son of Frankel was understandably outpaced during the hottest part of the race, but he did run on with a fair degree of encouragement in the latter stages to finish a respectable fifth behind a pair likely to be back over the same C&D for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Posting a career high speed figure in defeat 23 days ago, he also proved he has trained on from a campaign last season that saw him run well in two recognised Derby trials – one of which was over today’s course – and with the anticipation of a more to come with that initial run under his belt, the four-year-old makes plenty of appeal at his morning odds.
MEYDAAN – 1/2-point each-way@8-1
7.02 WORCESTER
Manala was always likely to be a popular choice for most punters given the style of his winning C&D display last week, but CHABADATIKA (best price 8-1) brings a reasonable level of form to the party too and at the morning prices, Anthony Carson’s mare makes far more appeal at a betting proposition.
A beaten favourite the time before when bidding to follow up her previous victory on her return to Taunton, a drop back down in trip was revisited by connections and although she performed much better in all departments, she couldn’t quite get to grips with the improving Al Saheh, who had too much boot for her from the second last to the line.
That said, the speed figure she posted in defeat worked out as a career high and when you also consider the final circuit at the west country track was considerably quicker than both the 2m hurdle races on the same card, her performance deserves upgrading.
On the evidence of her last three starts for new connections, the six-year-old grey could still have more to offer off her current mark and with tonight’s galloping track and ideal conditions to suit, it would come as a surprise if she didn’t hit the frame at the very least.
CHABADATIKA – ½ point each-way@8-1
7.25 CURRAGH
KEKE (best price 10-3) developed along a nice, upward trajectory in quality handicaps last season and on the evidence off his opening gambit this term, he remains one to keep on side in races of tonight’s similar nature.
Edward Lyman’s gelding managed to score four times during last campaign, which is no mean feat given how competitive sprint handicaps are in Ireland, but that meant he returned off a break with a mark of 95, suggesting he was verging on pattern level.
Although he didn’t quite manage to cope with the progressive Two Stars and several other useful sprinters over tonight’s course a month ago, the way he travelled before running on belatedly into fourth was extremely encouraging and when you consider the winner and sixth home, The Highway Rat, have both gone on to advertise the form/speed figure, his effort in defeat reads much better than it did at the time.
Additionally, that effort was not the first time the five-year-old has gone well at the Kildare venue and with a return to six furlongs also seen as a massive plus, he has all the right credentials to take advantage of the strange decision to ease him in the ratings.
KEKE – 1-point win@10-3