It’s all eyes on Windsor for our domestic action on Saturday afternoon as they host a competitive seven-race card, live on Sky Sports Racing…
7.35 Windsor – Strike bids to enhance 100% record at Windsor
Course and distance winner Lady Dreamer returns to Windsor for the Sporting Times Sri Lanka Handicap in pursuit of a seventh career success. She arrives here off the back of a break but was last seen putting in a gutsy display to score over this trip at Wolverhampton back in February. Only one of her wins has come on turf but she should be able to give a good account of herself if fully wound up for Trevor Whelan and Tom Ward.
Strike has also demonstrated an affinity for the course at Windsor having already scored twice from two runs over this track and trip. The seven-year-old hasn’t managed to get his head in front since making it two on the bounce, with a win here last summer, but he has remained competitive and put up a really smart performance to finish second at Ascot last time out.
Study Up has only had the three starts to date but shown more than enough ability to suggest he can hold his own in this company. He made a winning debut at Salisbury last summer and has since run well in defeat, staying on for pressure from a bad position at Kempton and then not going down by far upped in trip there last time out. He should go well back down in trip.
The Jack Jones-trained Raffles Angel has already established an admirable strike-rate on the turf with three wins from five runs and all three of them coming over this trip. She’s not been seen since finishing tamely at Kempton in October but could put in a better performance given her conditions if she’s ready to roll.
7.00 Windsor – Competitive sprint contest for three-year-olds
Cheveley Park are represented by the Handicap-debutant Kinswoman in the Sri Lanka The Wonder Of Asia Handicap. She is yet to get her head in front in three starts but has bumped into some really smart types and didn’t do a lot wrong when making most of the running at Doncaster last time out. This half-sister to Audience drops back in trip here and could still be improving so another big run couldn’t be discounted with Harry Burns taking three pounds off for William Haggas.
Dream Out Loud has a similar profile to Kinswoman, having bumped into some useful types in his short career to date but he won convincingly at Kempton last time out. This is his first taste of racing on the turf, so he needs to prove he can convert his form to the new surface but being Mehmas, out of a Frankel mare, there’s little reason to think he can’t.
The Jamie Moore-trained Fleetwater ran second to that rival on her penultimate start and although she wasn’t able to chase that rival down on that occasion, she arrives here on five-pound better terms. She has also since run well over this track and trip, adding to her victory here last July and could do better today from a better draw with five-pound claimer Millie Wonnacott keeping the ride.
6.30 Windsor – Maraaheb sets the standard in an open Maiden
Maraaheb is from a very good Wertheimer family and out of Arc hero Sottsass so there’s plenty of reason to think he’s capable of winning races and heads to post for the Sporting Times Sri Lanka Restricted Maiden Stakes. He hasn’t done an awful lot wrong in his three starts so far and he could have more to come back up in trip for Andrew Balding and Edward Greatrex.
Little Saver was a big price on debut but unseated his rider on the way down to the start and briefly ran loose on the way to post, but still managed to show enough ability to suggest he can be capable in this kind of company so may be worth another try granted no more mishaps.
Of the newcomers Bomba Del Mundo makes most appeal hailing from a good Shadwell family. Her dam didn’t achieve much but she’s a half-sister to a dual winner and her granddam landed the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Best of the rest
Group One action Down Under
Group One XXXX Doomben Cup
The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni put in a very smart performance to land the Peter Young Stakes on her penultimate start and consequently went off favourite to land the Australian Cup at Flemington where she wasn’t seen to best effect. She returns from a break to contest the Group One XXXX Doomben Cup and this three-time top-level scorer can make them all go some, if she’s on a going day.
Antino arrives here off the back of an impressive performance in Group Two company at Gold Coast. He ran Mr Brightside close in the Champions Mile at the backend of the year but couldn’t repeat that in two subsequent runs so that last run was a massive step back in the right direction.
Lindermann was well behind Antino the last day but had previously been chasing home the likes of Fangirl, Vauban and Via Sistina on better ground and they would all hold strong credentials in this company. He’s clearly better than that and may well be seen to better effect here.
Ex-patriots Klondike and My Oberon also feature, with My Oberon already establishing himself as a competitive performer Down Under and the former only having had the one run since making the move and may well have needed his first appearance to adjust to his new surroundings.
