DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY OCTOBER 16
2.25 CURRAGH
SARAHMAE (best price 7-1) hasn’t had things quite pan out in her favour on her last two starts but she has shown more than enough to warrant a certain degree of loyalty should be afforded to her and Denis Hogan’s filly can win at today’s track for the second time.
The daughter of Magna Grecia received no luck in running when tanking along in the Bold Lad Sprint over today’s C&D two starts ago and last time out, although running well, did herself no favours by flopping out of the stalls.
Had she come out on terms 19 days ago, it is easy to argue she might have obliged, and it is also fair to say today’s race is a good bit weaker on paper.
Going back to the Bold Lad, it’s worth noting she finished only a length behind today’s favourite, Unique Journey, and considering she did so without coming off the bridle, there is more than a fair chance she can reverse the form. Either way, their respective odds look out of whack.
Better judged when she lowered the colours of the useful 100-rated Keke at the Kildare venue earlier in the season, a reproduction of that level of form should see her have a big say in the outcome with a much tidier stalls exit.
SARAHMAE – 1-point each-way@7-1
6.30 SOUTHWELL
LADY OF ARABIA (best price 6-1) may not have the profile of some of the sexier three-year-olds in this contest, but she does have solid C&D form – particularly on the clock – and those valuable commodities can come in handy as she returns to the Midland venue.
Although yet to win here, she has run well on all three starts and her latest effort was right up there with any of her previous best on the data.
Sporting blinkers for the second time, Eve Johnson Houghton’s inmate ended up being shuffled back through the field in a strongly run affair and despite a valiant effort to recoup the lost ground in the final three furlongs, the front pair rather got away, and she had to settle for an honourable third.
Like her last two starts, it might well be that an unexposed three-year-old proves too good but at the same time, she is more likely to run her race than most and that safety net is enough to make her a solid each-way proposition at the morning prices.
LADY OF ARABIA – 1-point each-way@6-1
7.00 SOUTHWELL
HAVE YOU A MINUTE (best price 7-2) did extremely well to win at Wolverhampton last night and even though a drop back in trip is a slight cause for concern, Tom Tate’s gelding is in the sort of form to overcome the small doubt.
The five-year-old had narrowly missed out over the same C&D previously and, was unsurprisingly a warm order to make amends, but despite meeting all sorts of trouble in running down the straight, he still had enough in the locker to get himself out of jail.
You’d say on the evidence of the last two runs, he needs every yard of the extended 1m1f but the fact he has shown enough pace to score over tonight’s C&D adds weight to the theory he will have sufficient pace.
Either way, he arrives on top of his game and looks banker material for the frame at the very least.
HAVE YOU A MINUTE – 1-point win@7-2