DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23
3.57 PERTH
BREIHZ RIVER must be a delight to own, and this model of consistency looks set to provide his set of connections another profitable payday at a track where he has gone well in the past.
Best in small fields, as all his six career wins testify, trying to dominate a race such as the Summer Plate with 12 opponents was always likely to find him out but despite those set of circumstances, he ran well above himself by finishing a respectable third, in turn, posting a career high speed figure.
Prior to that excellent display, the eight-year-old had been right on song when making all the running in the first-time visor/tongue-tie combination and with his performance over today’s C&D the time before opening up more possibilities over the trip, the likeable gelding can give another solid account.
BREIHZ RIVER – 1-point win@7-2
4.15 LISTOWEL
Almost a carbon copy of the Galway Plate, with many of the protagonists from Ballybrit locking horns again two months on and of the 11 who reoppose each other, KING ALEXANDER is fancied to uphold the form.
The jockey arrangements suggested the son of Mount Nelson wasn’t particularly high on the Willie Mullins pecking order for the big race of the week but as events transpired, he ended up being the surprise package of the race.
Noted travelling well from some way out, the eight-year-old was still going best on the climb up the hill and into the home straight and he just about had enough in hand to cope with the late burst from perennial strong finisher, Conyers Hill.
The key to his chances here today more than anything else stems from the fact he has a run style that fits the usual bill of many previous winners of this race, being a horse who often races up with the speed, and providing he breaks well and obtains a nice early position, he shouldn’t be too far away at the death.
KING ALEXANDER – 1-point each-way@15-2 (five places)
8.00 KEMPTON
JOSEPH looked a horse on good terms with himself based on his smooth victory over tonight’s C&D last time out and although he faces the lurking presence of improving three-year-old, Wardlaw, John Butler’s inmate can put his superior track knowledge to good use.
The son of Earthlight was up against a similar improving three-year-old in the shape of Madjid here three weeks ago and he ended up making mincemeat of a horse many good judges believed to be something of a good thing.
There was certainly no fluke about the performance either considering the data he produced. Not only did he post the fastest overall speed figure on the seven-race card, but his final circuit time was also quicker than Fortitudine by 0.3, who has been given an opening handicap mark of 105, which puts into perspective the level he ran to for the grade.
Raised to 76 on the back of that display, he still looks to be on the right side of the assessor based on the evidence to hand and he rates a decent bet at the early morning odds.
JOSEPH – 1-point each-way@8-1