Six tracks go racing on a fine Wednesday of action. Our 8,062 Lucky 15 top tips come from Worcester, Thirsk and Tipperary.
Thunderstruck (3.00 Worcester)
This 0-130 handicap is the best race of the day at Worcester. A few are quite tempting and it is a surprise early on to see Champagne Well at such a big price as top-weight.
He may be the subject of some support and can go well, but THUNDERSTRUCK is fancied most. Emma Lavelle’s charge has been runner-up in both appearances over course and distance which bodes well for his chances here.
The eight-year-old was beaten by just a head here back in September. That was also off 2lb higher than his current mark, while he was a behind a useful opponent when second in a novice event here in April. He followed that up with a nother second at Warwick over 3m1f, while slightly slower ground, coupled with 3m2f at the unconventional Fontwell, may have combined to see him struggle last time out.
He is forgiven that run as he still looks well enough treated to feature heavily. Lavelle’s record is good at the track too: her runners have recorded a 39.75-point profit for a level stake in her career.
Swinging Eddie (3.25 Thirsk)
A winner last time out, SWINGING EDDIE looks capable of backing that effort up and scoring again.
That victory was a very strong effort, coming from the front at Ayr. He is only up 3lb for that success and that reads well in the context of his reappearance at Catterick in May.
That day he was third to Langholm, who is among his main market rivals today. That day, before Oliver Stammers’ claim, he was 2lb above him in the ratings, but they will be off the same mark in this contest. That swing could easily bring the two closer together.
Few others arrive in significant form and it may be that those two come right to the fore once again.
Mojomaker (4.00 Thirsk)
A horse who ran in some useful contests as a juvenile, MOJOMAKER can get a deserved, if slightly belated, second career success.
His win came in a Sandown novice event last season before he ran in a pair of Listed races, as well as Goodwood’s Group 3 Molecomb Stakes. He was a runner-up in one of the Listed contests at Sandown, while he ran respectable in Pattern company otherwise.
He struggled on the all-weather in January, but came within a nose of winning at Doncaster in April, when many thought he had got up on the line. He was raised 3lb for that, though that proved too difficult to contend with in a strong handicap at York over 7f next time out.
The drop back to 6f is definitely in his favour here and a mark of 87 may still look generous in the context of his best races.
Disco Boots (6.40 Tipperary)
This handicap is not full of fillies or mares who have distinctly likeable chances. It could be very open and so maybe Peter Fahey’s DISCO BOOTS can challenge for 7lb claimer Jake Coen.
Coen has ridden at a 20% strike rate in the last two weeks, which is very solid for a claimer. His mount also has very solid claims based on her performances at Killarney and Galway last summer and there are signs that she could be nearing a victory again.
She was seventh of 26 in a good handicap at the Curragh in May and though she only managed to fill the same position at Gowran Park next time, she races extremely wide into the straight. Moreover, the better ground appeared to be closer to the far rail anyway.
She is down another 2lb to a mark of 74 here. This trip, just shy of 1m, may be a tiny bit on the stiff side for her, but a decent pace to aim at would give her a good chance of hitting the frame.