DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
WEDNESDAY MAY 27
2.53 NEWTON ABBOT
BABS shaped with a reasonable amount of promise on hurdles debut at Warwick earlier this month and providing the lessons she learnt that day aren’t lost on Henry Oliver’s mare, she has a decent chance of playing a more pivotal role.
The daughter of Poet’s Word was quietly fancied to make an impact at the Midland venue but she ultimately spent too much time in the air over her obstacles and by the time she worked her way into some sort of contention coming out of the back straight, the totting up procedure kicked in at the business end.
Impressive on her debut in a bumper at Stratford on good ground last year, unsuitable conditions rather counted against her when upped to listed class on her next two starts and providing the track doesn’t receive any rouge showers during the build up to the race, she might prove to be the surprise package if her technique has tightened up in the interim.
BABS – 1-point win@7-2
6.38 CARTMEL
BOOK OF SECRETS
Local trainer Jimmy Moffatt and his 10lb conditional Leah Noreci have teamed up to good effect at the Cumbrian venue during the bank holiday period and further success could come their way in the shape of BOOK OF SECRETS in this modest-looking Class 5 affair.
Like most of the track’s leading trainer’s inmates, the son of Free Eagle knows his way around the sharp, left-handed circuit and if you cast your mind back just two years ago, he was good enough to finish third in a red-hot Class 2 contest over today’s C&D.
Since then, he hasn’t managed to win but he has run some notable races in defeat and his latest instalment at Newcastle back in late March reads well in the context of today’s contest.
Fourth to the improving Travis Wheatley at the Gosforth Park venue, the winner has gone on to run well in a better race at the Ayr Scottish National meeting and with the runner-up and third further advertising the form/ speed figure subsequently, he would only need to run to a similar level to feature in a race of today’s standard.
BOOK OF SECRETS – 1-point win@5-2