Perth and Sandown Friday Racing Tips – DS
Perth and sandown Friday Tips
What a day it was for us on Easter Monday at Fairyhouse. Our 20/1 each way NAP Capilano Bridge survived a final hurdle blunder to win at 12s. Santa Rossa was a bit keen but she ran well to nick place money in 2nd. The piece de resistance was Lord Lariat scoring for us at 80/1 in the Irish National. Friday’s fare isn’t quite as appetising and small fields are mostly the order of the day. Hopefully Dave Stevos’ can uncover another winner or two. Check out his Sandown and Perth Friday tips below.
1.20 Sandown – Bet365 Handicap (Class 2)
A tricky enough start to the afternoon with this 5f handicap for 3yos. Live In The Dream has had a recent run. Adam West’s Wolverhampton debut winner has failed to score since but he has run some good races in defeat. He was far from disgraced in a big sales race at Doncaster on quick ground and he has also run well on soft. However, he had race fitness on his side when beat off 84 last time at Thirsk and Sean Kirrane’s claim isn’t enough to convince me he can win in this tougher company.
Suanni is another one that has a recent outing under his belt. This son of Lethal Force won a handicap on quick ground off 69 last season and he is 10lbs higher today. However, he did sign off last season with an excellent effort off 76 when a close 2nd at Kempton over 6f. It looked like he just didn’t get home over that trip and he gave a similar impression over the same C&D last time. The return to 5f on good ground is a big plus and David Egan has yet to finish outside the first 3 in a trio of rides for trainer Daryl Holland. At odds of 10/1, Suanni is the each way selection.
Perth and sandown Friday Tips: Suanni e/w @ 10/1 (4 Places Hills)
1.50 Sandown – Esher Cup Handicap (Class 2)
Eve Johnson-Houghton has started the season very well. She runs Nuvolari in this 8f heat and the step up to 8f really ought to suit. This fella gets into this race off a mark of 84 and I think that could underestimate his ability. He won his maiden at Epsom first time up (7f gd) and the three horses behind him have all won races since. On his second start he was far from disgraced under a penalty in a 7f Newmarket novice behind two very promising sorts.
The winner, Filistine, had previously gone close behind a highly rated type at the same track and the runner up Silent Speech went to Meydan and beat a 93 horse by 2L next time out. It was unfortunate for Nuvolari to bump into two horses of that calibre but on the plus side, it means that the handicapper may have been overly lenient awarding him his mark of 84.
The step up to a mile should really suit this fella, on both pedigree and his last run. His dam won over 8.6f and she is closely related to another mile winner. Time Test was a top class operator at up to 10f and while he hasn’t made a spectacular start at stud, he has had most success with runners at 7f to 9f. Johnson Houghton is 19/181 at Sandown with a further 62 top 4s and if you had £1 win on each of her runners, you’d be up £34.83. At odds of 16/1, hopefully Nuvolari boosts those stats even further.
Perth and sandown Friday Tips: Nuvolari e/w @ 16/1 NAP (4 places Hills)
2.25 Sandown – Gordon Richards Stakes (Group 3)
What an absolutely dire turnout for this £80k Group 3. It isn’t a race that usually attracts a massive field but this is the smallest one for some time. It makes absolutely zero appeal as a betting heat. There isn’t that much between the three on ratings and the fav could be vulnerable carrying a 3lb penalty. However, the odds of the other two runners aren’t big enough to tempt. No bet.
Perth and sandown Friday Tips: No bet
2.40 Perth – Highland National (Class 3)
Given his course record and his liking for nice ground, Heavy could represent a bit of e/w value in this marathon. Neil Mulholland trains this son of Trans Island and while his last two wins have come on soft ground, his best form has arguably come on a sounder surface. On his last visit to Perth he was beat a head off 111 over hurdles (24f gd). He won a 20f good ground maiden in July 2019 and he was brought down on his only other run at this track.
Just three runs ago he won a handicap chase at Wincanton off 103 (25f sft). He stayed on well enough for 4th at the same course and distance on better ground on his next start off 108. Last time at Newcastle he was pulled up but that track was never likely to suit. This horse is at his best on flat, right handed tracks as is evidenced by his form figures on tracks with that description (13B214).
The horse he beat into 2nd in his last win at Wincanton scored by 8.5L off 2lbs higher subsequently so that form looks decent and Conor O’Farrell is a good booking. Mulholland has a superb record with his Perth raiders too (15/63 with 25 top 4s). So, at odds of 20/1, Heavey is the each way selection in an open race.
Perth and sandown Friday Tips: Heavey e/w @ 20/1 NB (5 places Hills)
3.00 Sandown – Bet365 Mile (Group 2)
Alcohol Free is odds on to make a winning return for Ralph Beckett and Andrew Balding. She was a real contender at the top table last season but her form tailed off alarmingly. You could argue that 10f didn’t suit at York but at Ascot she had no real excuses. Maybe she was feeling the effects of a long season and perhaps the best time to back her is when she is fresh. However, there is also a chance she has regressed and at the prices, she is worth taking on.
If you judge these horses on last season’s bare form, they have no chance at the figures. Alcohol Free is rated 12lbs higher than the next best (Mutasaabeq) and she gets weight from her male rivals too. The one I am going to go with at a nice e/w price is Lights On for Stoute and Moore. This daughter of Siyouni won first time up last season so her absence is not a worry.
Her last win came in a Listed race at Pontefract on soft but that reappearance win came on good to firm so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about today’s ground. Her excellent 2nd behind Dreamloper at Ascot was franked by the 3rd Waliyak (since won Listed/G3 and placed in G1) while the winner went on to finish a fine 3rd behind Saffron Beach and Mother Earth in the G1 Sun Chariot. This looks an ideal starting point for Stoute’s mare and with Ryan Moore in the plate, hopefully she can run into a place at odds of 14/1.
Perth and sandown Friday Tips: Lights On e/w @ 14/1
3.35 Sandown – Classic Trial (Group 3)
Just the six runners and the bookies aren’t taking many chances. The all-conquering Appleby yard has the 11/10 favourite in Goldspur. William Buick rides and the son of Dubawi is the top rated at 107. River Thames is a once raced Churchill colt who scored in a Punchestown maiden last season (8f gd). He’s an interesting contender but he’ll need his sire to have injected lots of stamina because the dam side of his pedigree is all about speed. Will he stay 10f? I am not too sure.
Cash is also a once raced maiden. He won at Newmarket at the backend (8f gd) but the form doesn’t look overly strong. Frantastic hails from a top yard and Frankie rides the beautifully bred son of Frankel. This step up to 10f looks sure to suit this Newcastle novice winner but again, that form hasn’t worked out. Westover brings placed Listed form into the race but all his form last year was on ground with an ease.
At the prices, maybe Franz Strauss can build on his Novice debut win at Newcastle (8f). The runner up from that race won a maiden next time while the 3rd Eydon hacked up in a listed heat at Newmarket last week. The son of Golden Horn is bred for this distance and he’ll have the assistance of James Doyle in the plate. At odds of 16/1, Franz Strauss is a speculative each way selection.
