DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SUNDAY MAY 25
2.38 UTTOXETER
MISS MAVERICK (best price 3-1) bounced back to her best form with a vengeance at Hexham last time out and now returning to a venue where she has won three times in the past, Gary Hanmer’s mare has strong credentials in her bid to add to her tally.
The eight-year-old mare was on the sharp end of a decent pace from the outset at the Borders venue and when favourite, Blakey Boy, loomed up to challenge approaching the last, it looked like she would succumb to a horse ridden with a more conversative approach.
However, she impressed with the way she found extra reserves on the run-in and with the race in question working out the best on the card in terms of the numbers, her effort, if matched, will make her hard to beat back at her happy hunting ground.
MISS MAVERICK – 1-point win@3-1
3.05 CURRAGH
By some margin, the best middle-distance Group 1 run so far this season and WHITE BIRCH (best price 5-2) is fancied to exact revenge on old rival Los Angeles from their clash here a month ago.
John Murphy’s stable star just lost out in a driving finish to last season’s Arc third, but he was closing hand over fist as the line approach and considering he was having his first run for 344 days, a reasonable amount of improvement can be expected.
To be fair, you could say the same thing for the winner but on balance, the five-year-old grey has the sort of record at the Co Kildare venue that makes him very difficult to ignore – particularly in the first part of the season – and he receives the percentage call at the morning odds.
WHITE BIRCH – 1-point win@5-2
3.23 KELSO
Susan Corbett looks to hold the key to this contest running both LES’S LEGACY (best price 9-2) and Wee Alki and even though the market seems to favour the latter, the former might just prove good enough to walk away with the stable bragging rights.
The pair suffered the same fate here 18 days ago, both finding one too good in their respective races but based on the data to hand, Les’s Legacy’s was the more authentic performance.
In a better and more strongly run contest, the eight-year-old kept on well to keep in-form Kilmore Rock honest throughout the final half a mile and with today’s slightly extra yardage seen as a plus, another solid effort from this largely consistent performer looks on the cards.
LES’S LEGACY – 1-point each-way@9-2 (three places)
3.40 CURRAGH
The focus of attention for the Irish 1000 Guineas surrounds Lake Victoria and based on the vibe’s connections were giving off prior to her tacking the English version, Aidan O’Brien’s filly is expected to make a massive leap forward.
Whether she quite deserves to be quite so short in the betting, however, is open to debate and, because of her dominant position in the market, there could be some value to be obtained with CERCENE (best price 40-1).
Considering she had already had a run under her belt, and good one at that behind Swelter at Leopardstown, it was surprising to see the daughter of Australia as keen as she was during the early part of The Athasi Stakes here last month and in the cold light of day, she did extremely well to finish a close-up second given how much energy she expended.
On the evidence of that effort, she has a reasonable chance of turning around the form with her old rival Atsila, if she can settle better, and it’s not as if she has loads to find with Swelter either, who fits firmly in the betting as a strong second favourite.
Proven over the C&D, with conditions in her favour and a good draw over towards the far rail, the chestnut filly can easily outrun her odds providing everything goes her way.
CERCENE – ½ point each-way@40-1