3.55 Southwell - Path To Dubai 6/1 / Destinado 16/1 / Seal Of Soloman 20/1
Bit of a rarity for me going triple handed , but i just get the feeling looking at the race that a bigger priced runner is gonna land the spoils and looking through them i think theres three that could possibly go close at decent prices .. First one of those is Path To Dubai who made his re appearance after having been gelded last time and was plum last but im hopeful of a better showing here today , specially as hes back here at Shuvvel where he has run his best races to date , indeed landed the sole win of his career and as hes only had five outings to date its much to soon to be scuppering his chances just because of a couple of bad runs. Runs off the same mark when he was second here and doesnt look badly drawn. James Tate is a shrewd trainer and he does well when coming here with a 26% strike rate overall , and this season he has a 40% strike rate along with a profit of +£12.75. Jockey Clifford Lee gets the leg up for the first time , has an 18% strike rate in the past two weeks and when coming here he has a respectable 16% strike rate. Destinado is my second choice , not at his best lately but is now down to his last winning mark and im hoping for a better showing here this afternoon , has had a busy year with six wins from seventeen runs which isnt a bad ratio by anyones standards , and the fact he usually runs well here (two wins and four places from ten runs overall , but has won over todays CD) did catch my eye and made me think that maybe the trainer has brought him here for a reason. James Owen has been having a decent season and Darragh Keegan is booked to ride the horse for the first time and hes been in the winners enclosure a few times lately with a 23% strike rate in the last couple of weeks and when teaming up with the trainer over the last three weeks they have a 25% strike rate. Lastly top weight Seal Of Soloman who has had a poor season thus far , finishing nearer last than first in all four runs but the previous year he'd notched two wins and a second from his five runs , the fact that hes had wind surgery makes me think that hopefully the trainer has got to the bottom of the issue of the poor form this term and that a better run may well be on the cards today. A 2lb drop and a drop in grade will hopefully spark an improvement as well , hes placed on his sole start here and if he can get back to anything like last years form then he can go close at a decent price i think (hope !). Probably tilting at windmills with these three but i think on a going day all three could play a part in the finish.
5.25 Southwell - Hard Solution 16/1
Gonna side with Hard Solution in this in the hope that he doesnt blow the start and runs as well as hes capable of. Has won off much higher than todays mark and though hes the oldest in the line up i think on a going day he can make his presence felt at a fair price. One from one over CD and to my eye doesnt look badly drawn. Ruth Carr can pull one outta the bag when she wants to and im keeping my fingers crossed that today is one of those times lol .. James Sullivan in the driving seat and hes won and placed on the horse and i think hes worth a shot to nothing at the price in a race of this nature.
