Thursday’s racing is jam-packed, with five meetings in Britain and two in Ireland to savour. Our 3,873/1 Lucky 15 top tips feature races from both countries.
Echo Chamber (2.00 Haydock)
Two appear to have significant potential for progression in this contest at Haydock and the verdict goes to Ralph Beckett’s ECHO CHAMBER.
Soulcombe is the other for William Haggas and despite him being well-bred with potential to step up over this trip, neither his full or half-sister pulled up many trees. As such, off the same mark, Echo Chamber and Laura Pearson are preferred.
She was fairly well-beaten on all of her first three starts, ranging from 7f to 1m2f, but she was successful last time out on her handicap debut. That was over 1m4f and there is a decent chance she could improve substantially on that.
Rob Hornby set the pace on her that day, but only went at moderate fractions. Ultimately, this daughter of Postponed was staying on fairly gamely all the way to the line in what turned out to be somewhat of a sprint.
Over half-a-furlong less, she should be absolutely fine and may enjoy a stronger pace anyway. Off just 3lb higher, she can continue to improve.
Saint D’oroux (2.40 Perth)
Many eyes will be on Gordon Elliott’s runners at Perth on Thursday and Ash Tree Meadow boasts serious claims. However, aggregating what he achieved on his chase debut here is tricky.
One who certainly looks overpriced is the class horse in the race, SAINT D’OROUX. The six-year-old’s odds may well owe mostly to a disappointing effort at the Punchestown Festival in April.
However, his form prior to that, and since joining Stuart Crawford in January, was very solid. He won on his stable debut at kelso over 2m5f, then ran a cracker to be second to Cormier in the Morebattle Hurdle off a mark of 139.
That is a better standard of performance and race than many of his rivals can threaten. He probably failed to stay when only seventh at Aintree and if forgiven his run back in Ireland, he would hold a genuine chance here.
Thunder Legend (3.00 Haydock)
He may end up being a warm favourite in this race, but THUNDER LEGEND does look to have an excellent chance in this class 3 handicap.
He was a ready winner of a maiden at Hamilton as a juvenile, after finishing behind the French 2000 Guineas winner Modern Games on debut. His three runs this term have all been competitive too.
In hindsight, he was below par at Ascot, though still placed in third behind a horse who contested the Group 3 Jersey Stakes. Since then, he was a narrow third to Jimi Hendrix, placed at Royal Ascot, at this track over 1m, while he was outgunned late on by Outgate at Chester. The winner had already won at that track.
It seems generous that he remains off the same mark of 84, as all of his form is rock solid and suggests he will be winning very soon.
Darasso (6.10 Tipperary)
It seems as if DARASSO will always be slightly underestimated in the market no matter what he has done this year.
Admittedly, giving 9lb to Saint Roi, a course and distance winner, should prove tricky, but Willie Mullins’ charge has not won since October 2020 and is definitely below top class. While Darasso also falls into that tier two bracket, he won three times last season, including twice at Group 2 level.
His defeat of Sire Du Berlais in Navan’s Lismullen Hurdle last November is exceptional form in this context. His other two successes, beating Saint Felicien over 1m7½f in a Naas Grade and another Grade 2 victory at Fairyhouse, were extremely impressive efforts. In none of those three races did he go off at 3/1 or shorter.
He finished ahead of Saint Roi in Punchestown’s Champion Hurdle to end last season and while the swing in the weights favours the other McManus horse, Darasso is the more consistent winner. At an each-way price, he is readily favoured.